Explosive Love
by Bluelighthouse
Summary: The Missing Mammals case is all wrapped up, Nick and Judy are kicking tail as partners, and everything seems right in the world. Problem is in a city like Zootopia things don't stay quiet for long. Nick and Judy must prepare for a new role in the ZPD. While at the same time figure out what they are to each other. Get ready, this one is going to be a blast.
1. Chapter 1

-Wanting more-

"So does all the food bunnies order smell like lawn mower clippings or is it just the stuff you get us?" Nick asked as he made a playful gagging sound as he eyed the veggie wrap currently held in his paws.

"I mean I didn't hear you offering to pay for lunch today," Judy shot back, her words somewhat muffled thanks to the large bite of wrap currently being chewed in her mouth.

"Today is Thursday," Nick pointed out as he leaned forward and took a sniff of the food that Judy had gotten the fox for lunch. "Thursday is Judy's day to pay."

Nick had a point. To keep things interesting while at work Nick and Judy had come up with a neat idea when it came to lunch. Once a week one of them would pay for lunch after finding a new and interesting restaurant they wanted to try.

It had led them to some rather interesting adventures throughout the metropolis. There was the time Nick tricked Judy into a Beatle burger saying it was veggie. Or the time Judy managed to sneak in some tofu to Nick's diet by telling him the little cubes in the soup was a kind of cheese.

Today had been Judy's turn and she had picked a new wrap place that specialized in healthy options. Something the candy crunching and coffee chugging duo desperately needed. Sure they were in shape but every little bit helps. Especially when it came to vegetables.

Nick finally braved the green wrap and opened his maw. Judy watched with an odd interest as the fox brought his canines down on the wrap and took a bite.

She felt her heart skip a beat and she needed to look away for a moment. She didn't want to admit it but she had been fighting these strange feelings recently. All of them revolving around her partner.

"Mmmm," Came a surprising noise from Nick.

Judy chanced a glance over at the fox who gave his bunny partner a paws up as he munched on the mouthful of veggies in his mouth.

"What was that slick?" Judy asked with a smug smirk as she scooted over in her seat and raised an ear upward. "Did I hear a happy little fox noise?"

"It ain't too bad Carrots," Nick admitted. He swallowed what was in his mouth and gave Judy a toothy grin.

Judy couldn't help but let out a snort as she looked at the fox, a large strand of a carrot slice was stuck on the side of his face, clinging to the russet fur that covered his body.

"What?" Nick asked as he noticed how the bunny was giggling and staring at part of his muzzle.

"You have something," Judy began as she pointed at her own face.

Nick reached up and began to brush his fur. Only he had the sides wrong. He tried again only to have Judy shake her head as she continued to giggle.

Nick put the wrap down in his lap and maneuvered the rearview mirror so he could see what was causing the trouble. His eyelids dropped as he saw what was so funny.

"You planned that," The fox grumbled playfully.

Judy rolled her eyes, "Yes Nick, I told them two veggie wraps, one with clingy carrots."

"You're a clingy carrot," Nick shot back mockingly.

"Am not!"

Nick gave Judy a look which caused the doe's cheeks to warm.

"That was one time. I fell asleep and just needed to hold onto something."

"You held on for a long time."

"Oh hush," Judy shot back. "Last time I checked you were the one stroking my ears."

Nick smirked and remained silent. Judy did have a point. Not long ago during one of their after shift movie nights, Judy had managed to fall asleep on Nick's couch, her tiny paws grabbing Nick's tail as she slept. Judy was woken up by the fox who was gently rubbing her ears which had felt so wonderful.

She didn't know if that was the first time she had begun to wonder about her and Nick's relationship or not. She sure had given it a lot thought after that night though. Judy had never thought she would have these kinds of feelings for one of her coworkers. A fox too to boot.

Nick, however, wasn't just some fox coworker. He was her best friend. He had done so much for her through these past few months. They had been very close during Nick's time at the academy. When he had returned to the city as a full-fledged officer their friendship had strengthened into something so strong that Judy doubted anything could break it. At first, she thought this was the kind of bond two close mammals shared when they were best friends. Soon though her thoughts changed.

Gone were the days of looking at Nick as a good friend. Now her glances held something more in them. The way he walked, how he spoke, and those bright green eyes. All of it was almost intoxicating for the bunny. She had never had such strong feelings for someone before so when it hit her it hit hard.

Judy was brought back into reality by Nick who was wiggling his muzzle slightly which caused the carrot slice to flail about.

The gray doe snorted at her partner's antics. After having enough she reached towards Nick.

"Here Slick," Judy began as she put a paw gently under Nick's muzzle and pulled him close.

Nick smiled as he leaned down, his head angled so the bunny could pluck the carrot piece from his fur.

Judy began to reach out, her paw opening up slowly as she aimed for the carrot. Something though began to happen in her mind.

 _What if…what if she tried it now? A quick peck? Would he stop us? Would he want more? Oh please want more!_

Judy began to think quickly as her paw stopped just above the carrot slice. Her eyes went to the vegetable and then to Nick's muzzle. His lips were so close it would just take her leaning in.

Would it be that easy? After all this time of wanting to see what they could be could she find out in this moment?

Images of their lips pressed against one another filled the young bunnies mind. Nick leaning down as his eyes closed. His large arms wrapping her up in a passionate embrace as their partnership evolved into something more.

Judy was not the type to back down from a challenge. It was now or never.

She put her paw on Nick's cheek while the other pressed against Nick's fur and turned the Fox's head.

They were now level with one another. Her purple eyes looking straight ahead to Nick's emerald ones.

She gave him a confident grin and then leaned forward, her lips forming into the shape of a kiss. She was so close now.

Judy felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach. Nick's eyes widened in panic and he moved away from Judy. Had he remained still for just a second longer their lips would have met. The fox was just quick enough though to get away.

The gray fur all over Judy's body suddenly stood up as she realized what she had just tried to do and what it had gotten her.

Nick leaned back in his seat, a stern look on his face as he shook his head.

"Nick…i…i.."Judy stammered, the embarrassment was obvious as her voice quivered.

"Let's…lets..not talk about it ok?" Nick asked as he wiped the carrot from his muzzle. He didn't look back at Judy.

"Nick…"

There was a sudden loud chirping noise that filled the car. The sound didn't phase Nick at all. The fox seemed oblivious to the sound.

As Judy listened she soon realized what the noise was and what is signaled.

The doe opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling above her. The bunny's bed sheets were moist with sweat.

Slowly and steadily Judy rose up in bed and scooted back so she could rest her back against her carrot covered pillows. She reached over to her bedside table and hit the alarm button on her phone. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes she let out a grown. Images of what she had just seen played over and over again.

Nick's handsome face. His muzzle in her paws. Then the look of panic in his eyes.

She hated those images. She hated how they weren't just a dream though….they were a memory.

A memory from one of the most embarrassing days of her life. It was from her shift yesterday. A shift that had remained quiet for the next few hours. A shift that had ended with Nick pulling their squad car into the ZPD garage. A shift that had ended with her…walking home alone.

Judy looked at her phone and her eyes widened in surprise.

She scooped up the device in her paws and unlocked the screen as she began to read a message waiting for her.

"Wait till ya see what place I am dragging you for lunch today! Hope you like food on a stick!"

The message from Nick carried more weight with the bunny than the fox probably knew. It was a sign. That while they weren't an item. They were still friends.

 _Maybe that's all we will ever be._

If only she knew how wrong she was.

* * *

 **This is not a _We Just call them Nighthowlers_ sequel. **

**This story was originally planned to be its replacement. However, after some changes, it will now become its own story while Nighthowlers remains up for everyones...enjoyment?**

 **Nighthowlers was my very first story and foray into this fandom. It had its problems, its ups and downs, and its odd moments.**

 **While this story will have those too I hope it will be a better story in the long run.**

 **We will see familiar characters like Trisha, Delta, and Atom return. We will also meet new OCs that help mold Judy and Nick into a new kind of team.**

 **-Blue**


	2. I was totally (not) joking

-I was totally (not) joking-

Silence.

Sometimes silence is a wonderful thing. It is actually pretty underrated really. It can be so calm and relaxing. Just walking and enjoying someone's company as you take in all your surroundings. It can actually be a great way to start one's day.

Of course on the complete other end of the spectrum, it can be so awkward that one may wish they would burst into flame and burn away rather than take another second of the agonizing awkwardness.

Judy was unfortunately stuck in that situation.

Sure the day had started on a bright note. She had been woken up from a nightmare by a text from her partner. She had read the message like it was a letter about her winning the lottery. The doe had practically leaped from the bed and cheered. It wasn't until she heard a series of curses coming from her paper thin walls that she realized she just might have gotten up a little too loudly. Maybe the cheering was a bit much.

After apologizing to the wall which was using words that made the doe blush Judy got ready for the day. She took a quick shower and got ready. Making sure to give her shield one last quick rub to make sure it shined like it always did in the morning.

A text message from Nick told Judy that he was waiting downstairs for her. It was their everyday ritual. Nick would meet up in front of Judy's apartment and they would stroll to the train station together.

As Judy bounded down the stairs of her apartment building she felt like the world was giving her a second chance. Nick having forgiven the bun for her little indiscretion the day before. Maybe he had just written it off. The thought did make her feel somewhat down but it was better than the alternative, whatever that nightmare may be.

It wasn't until Judy caught sight of Nick that she realized how things may not be completely ok between them.

When she opened the doors that lead out to the sidewalk she saw him.

The bright green eyes which had widened in surprise yesterday.

That wonderful russet fur.

That floofy tail.

Those lips…

Judy remembered right then and there what she had tried to do the day before and all the confidence and eagerness she had simply vanished.

It didn't help that Nick suddenly looked a little nervous as the doe descended the stairs in front of her building.

The look on his face said it all. It was an apprehension mixed with a kind of pity. Judy absolutely hated it. What made things even worse was how Judy couldn't think of anything to say as she arrived in front of Nick. For once the fox was also at a lost for words.

They stood in an awkward silence. Judy pleading with her body not to show how embarrassed she was. Sadly though she couldn't control her emotions as a warm blush covered her cheeks, she also felt her ears warm which told her the blush was spreading.

 _Stupid body! Stop betraying me!_

Nick's ears fell back against his head. The smug smile on his face would have fooled anyone else but Judy wasn't just any mammal. She had been partners with Nick long enough to know some of his tells, few as they were. The ears were always a giveaway.

 _Say something! Anything!_

The seconds finally managed to turn into a whole minute before Judy finally managed to say something.

"Shall me?"

Nick tilted his head as Judy winced.

"I meant to say…shall we?" The doe corrected. She then opened her eyes and panicked, worried that he may take that phrase the wrong way. "And by that I mean shall we start heading to the train station? Not up to my apartment…which wasn't implied in the first place because why would I ever invite you up there?"

Nick raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"I mean! I would invite you up there! And I have..before.I think," Judy stammered out.

 _Shut up shut up shut up!_

"But only to see things," Judy continued, her mouth no longer taking orders from her brain. "And by things, I mean things that were in my apartment. Not me….well I was in my apartment and…with you but nothing happened…Not that I wanted anything to happen. Of course not because you're a fox…not that that even came up."

 _Nick, please shut me up!_

Nick put one of his paws to Judy's lips which finally convinced her mouth to stop betraying her. The doe closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before trying to speak again.

"Nick I...I am so sorry," The bunny began but when she opened her eyes she felt a wave of relief.

The fox that stood before her had on such a dashing smile she felt her heart flutter. That wasn't the reason she felt so calm though. It was the fact he was smiling through all this.

"So was it my good looks? My sense of humor? The tail?" Nick began to list off some of his characteristics.

 _All of the above would be the safest bet._

"You aren't going to let me off the hook for this are you," Judy grumbled as she let out a deep sigh, her lips curled into a pleased smile none the less.

"Oh I will," Nick said as he put his paws on his hips, "In a week or so. By then I am sure you will have figured out another way to embarrass yourself."

Judy chuckled as she gave her fox partner a playful scowl. Nick simply smirked as he turned and began to stroll down the sidewalk.

Judy rolled her eyes but hurried off after Nick.

"Till then though I think we should talk about what happened," Nick pointed out as Judy caught up to him, the doe had just begun to get a skip in her step when she heard the suggestion from Nick.

"Or we could not," Judy suggested.

"Awkward silence it is then," Nick said as he looked straight ahead.

"Oh haha," Judy shot back as she looked up at the handsome tod.

Nick didn't respond and simply kept his gaze forward as they strolled down the street.

 _Is he really going to try and give us the silent treatment?_

Judy tilted her head slightly as she studied Nick, hoping he would acknowledge her in some way.

 _Oh, two can play this game!_

Not to be outdone by the fox Judy looked straight ahead as they continued their walk towards the train station that was a few blocks away.

To say Judy was out of her element was an understatement. The doe wasn't the most patient mammal, to begin with. Rabbits having been known to want to get things done quickly and not be held up. Something Nick knew all too well having witnessed Judy deal with Flash on several occasions after the Missing Mammals case. The sloth asking Judy how she was doing took roughly 2 minutes which drove the doe absolutely mad. What was worst was she was far too polite to try and break away without answering. By the time Flash had managed to say how his weekend was 20 minutes had passed, the bunny had been shaking with anxiety the whole while.

Now though she was stuck trying to wait Nick out. Something she knew from the start wouldn't work but her competitive side refused to admit defeat.

Five minutes into the train ride and Judy's foot started to tap against the floor of the train. The bunny's patience was starting to wear thin. What was even more annoying was how Nick showed almost zero sign of giving in.

 _Does he really not like talking to me? Say something you stupid fox! Come on! What if I tried kissing him now? Bet that would get him talking…or shouting..oh gods why did I try and kiss him?_

When they finally arrived at their stop the pair stood up silently and walked out of the small train car. They were roughly halfway down the open air platform when Judy finally decided to change tactics.

"Nick," She said in one of her serious tones, a slight sorrow hung on her words. It was enough to catch the fox's attention and he turned to look down at the doe. "Nick I am really sorry..I don't know what happened. I mean It was just a joke.."

 _Maybe he will buy that._

Nick remained silent as he studied the bunny in blue.

"I mean you try and get me all the time with your little jokes so I thought I would try one out for once," she lied. She hated that she had to stretch the truth in front of Nick like this. She felt it may be the only option though when it came to salvaging some of her pride along with their relationship.

"It was gonna be great," Judy chuckled half-heartedly. "Give you a little peck, see you all flustered…and um…" She felt herself start to falter as she gazed at Nick. The way his eyes looked right into hers, if she didn't know any better she could swear he was reading her very thoughts. Which in the end wasn't true because if he had the slightest inkling of what she wanted to do to him he would probably burst out laughing or run away. After a few more seconds of silence, Judy let out a deep sigh and looked at the ground, kicking one of her large feet against the platform gently.

She looked up at her partner, the way his eyes still held a friendly warmth as he looked at her gave Judy confidence.

"But I know you would see right through that.."

Nick's lips curled into that famous smug smirk of his and Judy felt her heart skip a beat.

"I don't really know what to say about what happened. I could try and blame some kind of bunny emotions, or maybe I was delirious. But the truth is.."

 _Are we really going to tell him like this?_

"I…have feelings for you..."

 _Ok, apparently we are..._

"I don't know how long they have been there…think it's been recent. But I...I don't know what I am saying…um..." Judy let out a nervous laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck with her paw.

Nick took a knee in front of the doe and reached out as he tugged at one of the straps on Judy's shoulder that held up her vest. He was testing its strength but also simply wanting to give the doe a kind of physical comfort. It simply reminded Judy why she felt the way she did.

"Carrots," Nick began as he looked at the ground and then into Judy's wide purple eyes. She could already tell this wasn't going to go the way she had hoped. "Yesterday was...well it was a little weird. No getting around that."

Judy blushed and nodded. She remained silent for now, wanting to hear what Nick had to say.

"But it wasn't a bad weird," Nick pointed out. "I mean it was only a matter of time before you fell for my foxy charm."

Judy giggled as she put a paw on her hip. She rolled her eyes but they instantly went back to staring at Nick's.

 _Even in a moment like this, he has to be a joker…_

"Judy I don't want to mess up what is between us," Nick continued which caused the doe's ears to fall forward slightly. Nick's eyes went upward and then back to Judy's gaze as he ran a paw up one of her ears. Normally this was considered over the line. While bunnies were affectionate creatures it was still a bit of a reach for a mammal to be allowed to touch their ears. Nick, of course, was an exception. "Hey now, none of that.."

Judy let out a sad sigh, try as she might she couldn't hide her disappointment.

"Judy you are without a doubt the most important mammal in my whole life," Nick continued in a friendly tone.

 _And yet…_

"I would be a completely different mammal if you hadn't bounced into my….hey that's not a rabbit jab that is a figure of speech," The fox said, trying to remain serious but the way Judy's eyelids drooped at the word _bounced_ was a bit too much for him to let slide. "Judy I.."

The fox remained silent as a pensive look crossed his muzzle. He looked to the side as he tried to find the words.

 _Please just be gentle…_

Nick took in a deep breath before looking back at Judy.

"Carrots I love you," Nick said simply.

Judy felt her heart swell with happiness. The world seemed to brighten as the clouds from the nightmare faded away. She already knew there would be strings attached to the last sentence but she didn't care. What she did care about was she was loved by this fox. She already knew he would throw in something to wreck it but for now, she hung onto the blissful joy that radiated through her body.

"But…" Nick began.

Judy, however, cut him off. She put a finger to the fox's muzzle and silenced him. At first, Nick looked a little nervous as he looked down at the small paw against his mouth and then directly at Judy. A tear rolled down the doe's cheek but she kept a smile on her face.

"Nick…I am sorry for yesterday and I am sorry for putting you in this spot. Just hearing that I haven't completely ruined what we had is enough for me."

"Oh Carrots…you really can be a dumb bunny sometimes," Nick said with a smug smile. Judy looked slightly confused which made Nick clarify what he meant. "You could never ruin our friendship."

Judy tried to hold back the tears but there was no stopping the floodgates. Nick rolled his eyes and simply held his arms open as the doe waddled towards the fox. Nick wrapped his partner up in a warm embrace and gave her a slight squeeze.

"You bunny's, so emotional," Nick whispered sweetly.

Judy couldn't help but let out a giggle as she nuzzled into the fox.

She then remembered something that had been eating away at her all morning. She moved slightly in Nick's arms and looked up at the fox who smiled down at her.

"What's this about food on a stick?"

Nick's eyes suddenly brightened as a broad grin crossed his lips.

"Wait till you see! Oh, this one is gonna kick your butt Carrots."

"Our lunch dates aren't a competition Wilde!" Judy pointed out.

"Oh, you are just saying that because you are about to lose," Nick said as he let the doe fall from his arms so he could strut away. "After this, I think I am gonna eat all my food on a stick."

Judy rolled her eyes as she hurried after her fox. So they weren't a couple. Maybe they were destined to be best friends for life. There is nothing wrong with that. They were incredibly close and the fact that something like a near kiss couldn't come between them showed Judy that Nick did really care about her. Of course, now she was kicking herself for having stopped Nick's explanation as to why he felt the way he did.

 _Ok, so while not romantic that was still…nice. Maybe nice is all we will be._

Judy's stomach rumbled and the doe looked down and then back at the fox.

 _Hope they have donuts on a stick._

* * *

 **Thank you to my amazing fans who have supported me through all the craziness that has been going on both in and out of this fandom, I don't deserve you but I will do my best to earn such loyalty.**

 **-Blue**


	3. It's (not) like that

-It's totally (not) like that!-

Precinct 1 of the ZPD sat in the center of Zootopia's central district. From here the ZPD could send units all over the city. Most precincts were situated in the different districts or outlying regions. The officers from those bases of operation would normally remain in their designated district. The mammals of Precinct 1, however, were able to go to any of the districts to assist with operations. That was one of the reasons they only took the best of the best. An officer could change regions at a moments notice or be called into action in a place other officers may not be used to.

Judy always had a feeling of pride wash over her whenever she headed into work. Looking at the impressive multi-storied building always caused the doe to get a little more skip in her step. Even after the somewhat unfortunate conversation, she had just had with Nick the bunny couldn't help but shake with anticipation to get to work.

"Carrots," Nick muttered as he strolled up beside the doe who couldn't help but stare at the building straight ahead. "Carrots you there?"

"What? Oh yeah sorry Nick," Judy said as she turned to look at the fox currently holding a large paper cup filled with a black brew that kept Nick sane during his shift. They always had a tradition of stopping by the same coffee cart on the way to work. Nick needing some liquid energy to deal with the early morning hours. On occasion, they would actually be on the late shift which meant the fox would have to bring coffee from home.

"You sure you don't want anything?" The fox asked. He did everyday and everyday Judy would kindly turn down his offer. Most rabbits actually couldn't have too much coffee. It would have a somewhat negative reaction to their digestive system. Occasionally Judy would enjoy a nice green tea or some kind of breakfast smoothie but coffee was off the menu.

"I'm good slick," Judy said with a wink as she turned back to the ZPD's main building and began to stroll down the sidewalk. She was especially eager to get to work this morning. It would be the first shift they had since she had tried to kiss the fox and she was eager to get it out of the way. In Judy's mind the more shifts they got between them the better things would feel. Occasionally though Judy felt a pang of regret or embarrassment as she thought about the day before.

 _We were so close…_

Judy banished the thoughts from her mind. Sure Nick and she had talked, but it didn't mean her feelings had been dulled for the fox, not yet. She was slightly worried if she would be able to keep it together but her worries were soon brushed aside.

"Could you not be so cheery in the morning," Nick teased as he caught up to the doe and took a sip of coffee.

"Oh I am sorry mister grouchy fox, should I try and be boring and down like you all the time?"

"I am not boring," Nick grumbled as he took another long gulp. He looked down at the doe who gave him a wink with her violet eyes. "Ok, so I am not boring AFTER my coffee."

The two laughed as they came close to the main steps of the ZPD.

"Uh oh…sad looking cheetah at 3 o clock," Nick muttered from his coffee cup.

Judy turned her head in the direction of the fox's gaze and felt her ears droop at the sight of one of their work friend.

A cheetah in a long-sleeved ZPD uniform trudged up the stairs to the ZPD building. It didn't take behavioral expert to tell the predator was feeling pretty down. The way she dragged her paws with each step, how her tail hung limply behind her, even her normally beautiful and vibrant fur looked dull.

"Oh not again," Judy said sadly as she deviated from their normal path and skipped over to the large predator. "Hey Tammy, you feeling ok?"

Tammy blinked a few times before looking from the ground and over to Judy. Her yellow eyes brightening at the sight of Judy standing before her.

"Oh hey Judy," Tammy said as a warm smiled crossed her lips. "Just kinda had a disappointing date is all. Been working on this one for a while and it didn't really pan out."

"You scare off another poor feline?" Nick asked as he made his way over to the two ladies in blue.

"Morning to you too Nick," Tammy grumbled but smiled when she watched Judy give the fox a quick poke in the side.

 _They are so freaking cute together it's almost sick._

"Wanna talk about it?" Judy asked as she tilted her head and looked back up at the large feline.

Tammy couldn't help but respect Judy. When the small doe had joined the ZPD it had made a lot of waves. When they first met Tammy was worried she would intimidate the small bunny from her sheer size alone. Instead, Judy had gone off to impress Tammy by not only standing her ground when meeting the large predator but going out of her way to be friendly and make small talk. Judy was fearless and because of that many predators in the ZPD had started to respect her. Of course, many of them had different opinions on Nick. Not in a speciest way mind you, but more in an "Oh my gosh how many bad jokes does this fox know?" kind of way.

Tammy took in a deep breath and decided that maybe talking about the problem would help her feel a little better.

"It's just kind of hard dating when you work weird hours like we do here," Tammy explained as she adjusted the backpack currently slung over her shoulder. "So Mates is really the only chance I get to kind of…find dates right now."

Nick slowly raised his glasses and set them on his head. An evil smirk on his face. " Mates. As in Mates dot com?"

"Oh gosh don't give me that," Tammy growled. "So I use a dating site to find dates…big whoop."

Nick tried his best to hold the laughter in. A glare from Judy was enough to convince the fox that it wasn't worth his life though. The fox pulled out his cellphone and began to fiddle with the screen, a clear sign he was going to do his best to remain quiet.

Tammy continued, feeling glad to have someone like Judy to not only keep Nick in line but to talk to about this kind of stuff. One of the other reasons Tammy loved Judy was the fact the doe went out of her way to help others or give them words of encouragement. Some mammals saw it as foolish or naïve. Tammy saw it as a trait that more mammals needed in their lives, she was happy to have Judy among her list of friends because of it.

"So I am guessing the date didn't turn out so well?" Judy asked hesitantly as she gave Tammy a nervous grin.

"Not at all," Tammy grumbled. Her eyes widened suddenly though as she raised a paw up, "Don't get me wrong though, my date was really sweet and pretty darn cu- adorable. Its just her personality was nothing like what she said in her profile."

"Not confident, strong-willed, flirty, and not hesitant to be forceful with me?" Nick asked as he looked at his phone.

Tammy looked at the fox and a look of panic crossed her face. "Wilde you didn't?!"

"Gotta say the profile pic will probably catch a lot of attention though," The fox teased as he scrolled through the phone.

Judy was slightly confused at first but then put two and two together. She scurried over to Nick and put a paw on his arm, making him lower the phone so she could stick her nose to the screen.

"Sweet Cheese and Crackers Tammy!" The doe exclaimed as a bright blush crossed the cheetah's cheeks.

The screen was filled with a picture of Tammy in a sports bra and very short running shorts. The angle of the picture was from above which accented the cheetah's already attractive figure. A look of seduction was on the cheetah's face as she looked right at the camera.

"If I were into felines," Nick teased.

"And if I were into annoying and obnoxious foxes," Tammy shot back.

"Guess you and Judy don't share the same tastes then," Nick let slip before he could stop himself.

Judy tensed up and slowly turned her head to look up at Nick, an apologetic look was on the fox's face as he looked down at Judy.

"Wait! What?!" Tammy nearly shouted. "Did I hear that right? Are you two?"

"Ummm," Judy tried to bluster out but the cheetah was already starting to make wild accusations.

"It's about time! Oh my gosh, wait till everyone hears! This is amazing. I don't even care about my date last night anymore. You two are such a cute couple."

"Tammy…" Judy began, a weak smile on her face.

"I mean…wow. My day just got better. Wilde and Hopps, love it," The cheetah gushed, her tail flicking happily behind her.

"It's not like that," Judy tried to silence her friend as she waved her paws about, the blush going up in her ears showing just how embarrassed she was. She didn't dare look at Nick, knowing he would either be smug about this or worse…embarrassed like she was.

"Like what? Like the most romantic thing, I have seen all year? Oh my gosh I have been waiting so long to start teasing you two about-"

"We aren't a couple," Nick said firmly as he took a sip of coffee.

There is not a single officer in the ZPD that would ever want to go back to the academy for taser day. The volts of electricity coursing through one's body caused so much pain and then there was the loss of all muscle control. Judy, however, would have gladly signed up to go through that training all over again if she would never have to hear Nick say what he just said.

She thought that as more time went on that this wouldn't sting so much. Her heart felt strained as the words left Nick's lips.

"Oh, sorry I just…" Tammy said softly as she looked at Judy nervously.

Even Nick felt bad with how he had come out and said such things. Judy didn't dare turn around and look at Nick but then something rather amazing happened. Nick did what he did best.

A gentle arm wrapped around Judy's shoulders as the fox squeezed his partner closer to his side.

"You think she would want to deal with this all the time. I mean she gets paid to put up with my jokes on shift. She wouldn't do that willingly," Nick teased as he gave the cheetah a playful wink.

Nick wasn't fooling anyone. He hadn't had all his coffee yet so his hustle game was still booting up. If Judy was honest with herself though she was glad it was obvious what he was doing. It meant that he cared for her so deeply that he would do just about anything to cheer her up. Even if he wasn't at fault he would take the blame for her.

"Good point, don't know many ladies with that kind of conviction," Tammy snorted.

"Aww don't say that Tammy," Nick chuckled as a small chirp came from the felines duty belt. Nick gave her a wicked grin and nodded down at her belt.

Judy didn't move from her spot. She watched Tammy with her big purple eyes and when the cheetah's attention went down to her phone she took a risk.

The bunny closed her eyes and gently nuzzled into Nick's side, she did her best to keep quiet but the feeling of her fallen ears gently rubbing against the fox's side was almost too much.

 _How am I going to get through these shifts?! Was he always so soft? Oh my gosh why do I love his scent?!_

The bunny's attention was brought back to Tammy however when the cheetah burst out cursing.

"Nick you didn't! No no no! You son of a-"

"Just trying to help," Nick said as he took a step back, still holding Judy to his side as they slowly moved away from the cheetah.

"Let the bunny go," Tammy growled. "So I can maul that smug smirk off your face."

"Now now Tammy, I am just trying to help you find the right feline is all," Nick said as he slowly moved Judy in front of him and did his best to hide behind her. It was an amusing sight to behold since Nick was easily three times Judy's size.

"Judy move aside so I can have some words with your fox," Tammy said in a low voice as she slowly moved towards the frightened looking fox who stood behind the somewhat oblivious bunny.

"What did he do now?" Judy asked, sounding slightly confused as she tilted her head.

Nick held his phone up in front of Judy's face so the doe could see what the fox had done.

The phone had the Muzzlebook app open and the screen was filled with Nick's most recent post. It was a screenshot of Tammy's dating profile and all its glory. The caption from Nick caused Judy to start a giggle which eventually turned into a squeaking laugh as she couldn't breathe.

"Think I got a shot?" The post from Nick read.

Already there were a dozen likes or so from other members of the ZPD. No one, however, seemed to be brave enough to comment on the post just yet.

"I think you would make a cute couple," Judy teased, joining in with her fox on the joke.

"Oh no," Tammy rolled her eyes as she stopped just in front of Judy and glared at the fox who gave her a weak smile. "I ain't dealing with all that. You can keep him, Hopps."

"Guess I will," Judy said with a smirk as she pawed the phone back to Nick and turned to give the fox a smile.

"This ain't over Wilde," Tammy said playfully as she turned to walk up the stairs to the ZPD. "I got plans for you."

"Dinner on Friday maybe?" Nick shouted. Even Tammy had to laugh at that one.

Once they were alone once more there was a kind of calm silence between them. Judy had her paws together in front of her as she looked up at Nick. There was so much she wanted to say right now. So much she wanted to do. So much she wanted to…try.

In the end, she decided it was best to just say…

"Thanks, Nick," Judy said in almost a whisper as she smiled up at the fox.

There were so many things she was thanking him for right now, she just hoped he knew what he had done.

"No problem Carrots," The fox said as he leaned down towards her.

Judy felt her heart race but held her ground as she looked straight ahead at the fox.

 _Please kiss me please kiss me please KISS ME!_

The fox reached out and gently put a digit to Judy's nose, giving her the smallest of boops which caused her to look a little cross-eyed, her nose wiggling in response to the attention.

"You know you love me," Nick chuckled.

"Do I know that?" Judy asked playfully, thinking that this was as far as they would go sadly. "Yes, yes I do."

"We better hurry up," Nick said as he stood up and finished his coffee, chucking it into a trashcan nearby. "Don't want to be late for Buffalo Butt's morale session."

"Try and keep your mouth shut this time," Judy instructed as she strolled back towards the ZPD building. "I am getting a little tired of patrol and want a case this week."

"Case of what?" Nick asked which caused the doe to groan as she looked at the blue sky above. Nick would always do this, find ways to play dumb when she used the word case. "Case of Carrots? A case of muffins? Oh, wait! What about a case of blueberries from your parent's farm? I am out from the last crate they sent me."

"That crate was supposed to last you a few weeks!" Judy shouted and waved her arms about as they ascended the stairs together.

"What can I say? I love blueberries!"

 _Wish you loved carrots more._

"Almost as much as I love carrots," Nick added as he gave Judy a wink. The doe had to concentrate so hard not to lose it at that moment.

 _He is doing this on purpose now! He knows I like him and he is messing with me!_

As the duo made their way through the lobby filled with officers and citizens of various sizes Judy glanced over at the reception desk located smack dab in the middle of the large atrium. Her ears perked up as she tried to get a peek at the resident greeter to the ZPD. A cheetah named Clawhauser that always had a friendly greeting and a sweet treat for anyone passing by. Much to Judy's dismay, however, the chunky cheetah wasn't present at the moment. Instead, a lovely looking Zebra was answering calls while waving at a few officers passing by. Her name was Jenny and she had recently been transferred over from Precinct 3 as a kind of secondary reception officer. The ZPD was a very busy place after all and it would take more than just the bubbly Benny to make sure everyone was greeted.

"Nick!" Came a familiar voice. Judy and Nick turned in time to see the chubby cheetah waddle over in their direction. The predator's arms were full of various vending machine goodies that he had just recently purchased from the break area.

"Oh this is gonna be good," Nick chuckled as the pair stopped to watch their winded friend do his best to reach them in a timely manner.

By the time Clawhauser stopped in front of them it sounded like he had just completed a marathon.

"Nick….Mate….dot com….hilarious…" Benny wheezed as he bent over. "Oh my gosh why is the break room so far away."

"It's not that far really.." Judy said hesitantly. She absolutely loved Benny. He had always been sweet to her and was one of the few mammals that helped her out on her first days at the ZPD. He was however not in the best of shape, which while adorable, could sometimes be a problem in the eyes of the bunny. She had tried to convince him time and time again to go running with her after work or maybe come along for a healthy lunch. So far her efforts had been appreciated but...well…useless.

"Oh well, the one on the 3rd floor is," Benny said with an open mouth smirk as he rummaged around in the pile of snacks held in his arms.

"Why did you go all the way to the third floor vending machines?" Nick asked curiously.

"Because I knew it was getting restocked today and a certain vending machine supply mammal told me a certain snack cake was coming back," The cheetah said proudly as he produced a small orange cake wrapped in plastic and presented it to Judy.

"No way!" Judy squeaked happily as her paws wrapped around the small treat. "Carrot puff cake!"

Nick rolled his eyes and chuckled. Sure he knew the ins and outs of Zootopia and if anyone ever needed anything he was the one to help find it. When it came to junk food though Clawhauser had him beat.

"Made sure to get it before they sold out again," Benny said as he strolled away.

Judy looked at the cake and then back to Benny who sauntered away, tail whipping back and forth.

"Benny wait! The cake!" Judy piped up. The cheetah, however, held up another one in his paw.

"I had to get one for my sweet bun bun," The cheetah said with a smile and wink to Judy who couldn't help but let her tail flick happily.

"See now that's a couple the city deserves," Nick chuckled as he started towards the bullpen.

Judy rolled her eyes as she began to work at the plastic around her snack cake.

"We would make a pretty SWEET couple," Judy said playfully.

"You two would really take the CAKE," Nick shot back.

The two laughed at each other cheesy one-liners as they entered the bullpen. Normally the officers inside would all be chatting about their time off, the occasional arm wrestles to see who could beat who, or gossip about other members of the ZPD.

Today's topic was Tammy whose profile pic had now gotten roughly 50 likes on Nick's Muzzlebook page.

The cheetah, however, was a good sport about it and would simply point out she had to put one up because none of the mammals present were tough enough to date her.

"Bet Hopps could change your mind," Came a voice in the back.

"I thought Wilde already had dibs?"

"On who?"

There was a roar of laughter from the crowd as Judy blushed and looked over in Tammy's direction. The cheetah gave her a friendly nod followed by a wink.

Before any more jokes could be made at the three's expense the door to the side of the bullpen burst open. This surprised the officers present who scrambled to find their seats. Normally Chief Bogo would be announced by one of the ranking officers and he would enter to a form of chant his officers made out of respect. The look on the water buffalo's face told them all something was up.

"City isn't falling apart so you can breathe again," Bogo said, clearing the tense feeling in the air. "But we just had an avalanche in Tundra Town roughly 5 minutes ago. No reported injuries at this time but it is blocking roadways and ZFD has to dig some folks out of a building or two. The previous shift was on its way in to go 10-7 and now they are all stuck out in the frozen district watching a pile of snow so I have a feeling they would appreciate it if I was short and sweet on this one"

"Your always sweet sir," Nick piped up.

"Wilde!" Bogo barked from the podium as he stared the fox down. He then stood straight and sighed. "Alright, so we have already gotten that part of briefing out of the way. Hopps, would you mind?"

Without looking away from her superior Judy reached over and slugged Nick in the arm. The fox feigning an injury and rubbing where he had just been hit.

"Thank you," The buffalo grumbled as he looked down at a series of folders in front of him. "I have a few cases-"

"Of Blueberries?" Nick whispered as he leaned towards Judy who gave him another punch to the arm, causing the fox to straighten up.

"That need to be pawed out," Bogo continued, ignoring Nick's antics. "First though let's get some teams to Tundra Town to help with perimeter."

The officers in the room all sat up a little straighter as they waited to hear their names called out.

"Thompson, Murphy, Wilde, Hopps, Eston, and Riley get geared up for some cold weather and report to Tundra Town. A sergeant Pine will be waiting for you there to give you further instructions."

With that, the mammals that were called all stood up and headed out of the bullpen as Bogo continued with the briefing. While some of the officers griped about heading out to do perimeter work in the cold Judy was eager to get out there. She always was though. Every shift it was always the same thing. They would receive their assignment for the day and then the bunny would practically run down the halls in order to head out into the city that much faster.

Today something different happened. Tammy took a step in front of Nick and gave him a mischievous and toothy grin. Her intentions were clear, the fox had to pay for his Muzzlebook post.

"Well, would ya look at the time!" Nick said as he put his paws on Judy's shoulder and used her as a small fluffy shield. He managed to lift the doe up and held her upwards, the gray bunny giggling as she felt Nick hold onto her like she was some kind of magical defense against Tammy. "Carrots and I need to get going."

Nick managed to slink by the cheetah, his giggling shield starting to flail her legs as the fox grasped her sides which were actually rather ticklish.

"Run all you want Wilde, I got a snowball with your name on it, mark my words," Tammy shouted from down the hall.

"Nick put me down already! It tickles too much!" Judy squeaked.

Nick granted Judy her request and gave her a grateful smile. With that, the two hurried down the hall to the parking garage where their vehicle would be waiting.

Before they had turned the corner one of Judy's ears twitched and turned back down the hall where Tammy and a large timber wolf were conversing as they strolled after the rabbit and fox duo.

"Don't let Hopps hear me use the c-word but damn they make a cute couple," the female timber wolf said as she walked alongside the slightly taller feline.

"They aren't a couple," Tammy grumbled.

"What? Oh come on the signs are everywhere!"

"I know, but they aren't."

"Wonder why?" The wolf asked as she adjusted her vest.

"My money is Wilde being an idiot."

The ladies down the hall laughed at the comment. Judy couldn't help but let her lip curl as she turned the corner with Nick, the idiot….her idiot.

* * *

 **So I am sure some of you may have noticed the title change for this story. Decided to go with something in order to avoid some confusion between the other story that is still up. Should give ya some hints as to what is coming up. Thought it would be best to change it now while we are still early in the story instead of down the line when it's like 25 chapters in and people are still confused about the Nighthowler junk.**

 **Hope you liked a little fluff.**

 **Glad to see Tammy is back!**

 **Wait till ya see who shows up next!**

 **-Blue**


	4. In the snow

-In the snow-

"Contraflow currently active on Snowpeak, recommend a reroute to Frost. Command center and staging area has been established at the Snow Burrow shopping center parking lot," Came a female voice over the speaker inside the cruiser.

Judy who was currently riding as the passenger clicked the small button on the microphone in her paw.

"10-4, taking Frost," She looked at Nick who had a pensive look on his face and decided to ask the question running in her mind as well. "Dispatch we were told this was just a few blocks, why is a contraflow active?"

A contraflow was a practice only used in extreme emergencies. Judy had only ever heard of one or two ever being used, mainly for events of large scales that needed to herd mammals in one general direction. It meant that both lanes of traffic were heading one direction. It required a lot of coordination and took a great deal of mammal power to pull off so it wasn't used lightly.

"The first one was a few blocks. The second one is what did it. We will keep you posted. Tundra clear at 0847."

"First one?" Judy asked as her ears raised. She had a worried look on her face as she looked at her partner. She felt suddenly nervous at what they were about to head into. Her training though reminded her to remain calm. They wouldn't be heading into the real bad stuff right off the bat, they were on their way to the command center which would be far from the real problems.

"Second one.." Nick mumbled as he merged into the traffic heading into Tundra town.

The small convoy from precinct 1 made their way through the morning traffic. Since this wasn't a full-blown emergency they weren't going with sirens and lights on. Had lives been endangered or they were advised by dispatch they would have gladly been speeding through the traffic. However, there came risks of traveling at such speeds and since the general public didn't receive the same kind of training when it came to driving that the members of the ZPD did it was best to avoid such driving tactics whenever possible.

"Your place with food on a stick didn't happen to be in Tundra Town did it?" Judy asked with a weak smile, having a feeling that a majority of their shift was about to be spent in the frozen cityscape.

Nick chuckled and glanced at the bunny sitting next to him. She couldn't help but blush when his eyes went up and down her figure. She had to look out the window for a moment to distract herself.

 _Why do I hate when he does that now?_

She knew that this was just something he did, its how he gathered information on how she was doing. It wasn't meant to be taken as him checking her out, even though she wouldn't have minded if the fox wanted to take a glance at her body.

 _No…get that out of your head..._

Fortunately, Judy's cell phone started to go off which brought the doe back to reality and gave her something to distract herself with. The bunny reached for her belt where her cellphone sat snuggly in a small pouch. She undid the strap and brought the phone out. A smiling picture of Tammy filled the screen as the cheetah in the squad car behind them called.

Judy answered the incoming video call and smiled down at her friend.

"So whats the deal?" The cheetah asked with a toothy grin.

Sometimes in order to save the dispatcher some grief, a convoy of patrol vehicles would depend on one unit to act as a kind of transmission unit. They would call in the team's information, location, and status. That way 4 units wouldn't be calling in the same thing to a dispatcher who was probably already backed up with calls, especially in Tundra town right now.

"They are contra-flowing traffic right now so we will be going the long way. Command center has been set up in a parking lot at the Snow Burrow shopping center."

"Oh, they have an awesome cold sandwich shop there!" Came an excited voice next to Tammy.

Tammy's pupils dilated as she looked off the screen at officer Murphy, the timber wolf currently driving their squad car as she followed Nick and Judy.

"Sammich?!" Tammy exclaimed excitedly as her tail flicked to one side.

The feline's obsession with sandwiches was well known at the ZPD after one of her fellow officers accidentally ate her lunch from the shared fridge on the breakroom. She had pinned the poor tiger to the grown even though he was much stronger, the fire in her eyes as she foamed at the mouth, however, had caused the petrified predator to go limp in fear.

"Well guess that solves the lunch question," Nick teased from the driver seat.

"Seriously though…how good are they?" Tammy asked.

Judy couldn't help but snort at her team.

Her laughter was cut short when the radio on the dash suddenly piped up.

"Zulu unit from Center 1 this is Tundra."

To allow Nick to remain focused on the now icy roads Judy quickly scooped up the pawset and squeezed the button on the side.

"Go for Zulu 34," The bunny said quickly before looking down at her cellphone, giving Tammy a nod. The cheetah fell silent as she listened in.

"Assignments from the command center, I have your locations and frequency numbers ready for transmission?" The female dispatcher asked firmly.

Judy looked down at Tammy who smiled up at the bunny.

"Text us when ya get the assignments," the cheetah winked and hung up her phone call. Judy opened a group chat on her phone and prepared to send out the teams assignments.

"Go ahead Tundra," Judy said, trying to hide her excitement.

The dispatch center in Tundra town gave out each vehicle in their little convoy an assigned area and street number. Some of them would be relieving other units while a few would be establishing a kind of checkpoint down certain streets. They were then given a frequency for their assignments. During such an event it was important to spread out transmissions. That way a unit wasn't tying up the frequency asking for a break while a medic unit was sending out an escort request. Since Nick and Judy were now stuck on checkpoint detail Judy switched her own radio to the frequency they needed. Nick kept his on the Precinct 1 frequency and the car radio stayed on the Tundra town channel. It was enough to make most mammal's heads spin but in a situation like this, it was important to keep channels clear and organized.

Judy didn't envy the dispatch center right about now, knowing full well they would probably be backed up when it came to calls and requests.

Nick knew the streets of Tundra Town rather well and thanks to a shortcut or two they managed to reach their assigned zone in no time. They were stuck a few blocks away from a major intersection. It was somewhat eerie to see the normally busy street so empty. Most of the mammals in the area, however, had grown used to these kinds of avalanches, it came with the territory of living so close to one of the large mountains that sat in the center of the district.

Nick parked the car so it would block the road and turned on the light bar on the roof of the cruiser. Once in park, he stretched his arms towards the ceiling and let out a grunt before looking over at Judy.

"So..."The fox began causing the doe's ears to go up, her brilliant purple eyes glancing in his direction. "All alone."

Judy closed her eyes and shuddered, "How long is this gonna be a thing?"

"Not sure, bet I can milk it for a bit," Nick chuckled. "Plus you look so cute when your ears blush."

Nick was probably the only mammal in all of the ZPD allowed to use the C word but he was really pushing his luck. Judy let out a deep breath but when she looked over at the fox who wiggled his eyebrows she couldn't help but laugh.

"Hate you…"

"No, you don't."

"Just love you less right now…"

"Also untrue."

 _OMG next shipment of Blueberries from home I'm gonna put food dye in and then we will see who is laughing!_

"Carrots?" Nick said in a somewhat serious tone.

"Whats up?"

"You know I am just messing with you right?"

"Yeah I know," Judy grumbled.

"And you know why I do that right?"

"Why Nick?"

She felt her heart skip a beat when he reached over and gently patted her small gray paw with his on large black one.

"Because I do care about you.."

Judy looked down at her paw currently covered by Nick's. She then looked up at the fox and smiled, his emerald eyes looking at her with a kind of warmth.

"I know you big goofy fox."

They sat in silence for another second or two before Nick patted Judy on the paw and opened his door to step out. Judy took a moment or two to collect her thoughts.

 _Friends….we can be just friends. That's what we were before and there is nothing wrong with him just wanting to remain that way._

The bunny then opened her own door and stepped out into the brisk air of Tundra town.

One of the more annoying parts of perimeter details is they got rather boring fast. Sure they had one another to keep company and they could talk for hours on end about the most random of things but eventually even just chatting would get boring.

What finally broke up the monotony was a call from the command center for this emergency saying that Judy and Nick would have some company soon. A detection team was on their way and would pass through the checkpoint shortly.

Judy was the first to hear the approaching SUV and turned in the direction of the sound. The deserted street meant that the vehicle was easy to spot once it turned the corner and headed their way.

"Darn and here I was hoping for more alone time," Nick teased which caused Judy's eyes to go wide. She turned to glare at the fox who kept his emerald eyes on the approaching ZPD vehicle.

 _Of all the mammals you tried to kiss it had to be him?! He is going to be mocking us for at least a month!_

Judy's attention was brought back to the approaching truck when it gave a quick blast of its klaxon horn. The buzzing sound filling the street temporarily as a kind of greeting to the two officers standing by.

As the vehicle approached Judy noticed two canines sitting in the cab. Both of them were roughly the same height but their fur was different which seemed odd given the fact they were the same species. The vehicle lumbered towards Nick and Judy's vehicle, Nick having parked the car so there would be plenty of room for the new arrivals to easily pass by. The SUV, however, came to a stop as the window lowered.

"Of course I find you two here," Came a smug tone from the painted dog driving the truck.

"Well well well," Nick chuckled as he strolled up to the vehicle and hopped onto the step beneath the door so he could look into the window. "If it isn't my favorite K-9….oh and Delta."

"Oh har har," The painted driver snorted as he rolled his eyes. "What was the ZPD thinking when they hired this guy eh Atom?"

The driver turned to the other painted dog who simply smiled and panted before making a series of paw gestures.

"No Atom…that's not the point of teasing someone. You are supposed to make fun of him…not ask if he has ice cream."

The lighter painted dog in the passenger seat folded his arms and let out a snort before looking straight ahead.

"Plus it's like 10 am!"

The lighter colored painted dog simply snorted again before Delta turned back to Nick.

"So Judy how's my favorite Bun in blue today?" The painted dog asked as he looked out his window and down towards Judy who had remained by their squad car.

The doe smirked and looked over at Delta. She had met the painted dog on several calls before. Each time had actually been a pleasant experience even when they had first met which had been a rough time for Judy.

-After Judy's Missing Mammals Press conference-

During the citywide protests caused by a certain bunny's press conference, many members of the ZPD were called in to handle extra shifts. Crowd control was key to keeping the city from completely plunging into chaos.

During a protest at the Savanna Judy was having trouble with a group of prey species ganging up on a cheetah who was trying her best to keep her cool. Speciest remarks were thrown at first towards the cheetah but soon even Judy was tossed in there. Several mammals asking how the ZPD planned to protect them if all they hired were tiny bunnies.

That's when things started to turn ugly. Judy did her best to try and calm the mammals around her, looking for back up only to realize that the other officers present had their own paws full.

"Alright back up no one wants to smell that breath of yours!" Came a curt shout from behind Judy.

A painted dog in blue BDUs and a black tactical vest came out of nowhere it seemed. He came up alongside Judy and gave some of the more verbal protestors a cold look. Even in the Savanna folks felt a bit of a chill.

"See, now we have to depend on predators to keep things organized because the ZPD is too busy hiring cute little-"

"Now I'm not gonna say that was the stupidest thing I have ever heard," The painted dog began. "But it is paws down the stupidest thing I have heard today."

Judy gawked up at the painted dog who gave her a smug smile followed by an encouraging wink.

"Oh and for your information I'm not here because she can't do her job. I'm just here because I love hearing stupid comments like yours. I am very sure Officer Hopps here can handle herself."

It took roughly half an hour for the crowd to finally disperse. Judy took a moment to collect herself before searching for the painted dog who had come helped her hold the line. When she found him he was chatting casually with a lighter furred painted dog by their truck. It was at that point she realized who they were. A series of warning signs on the windows of their truck told mammals to stay clear as they were a K-9 team. She had always been curious as to why those stickers were posted on the truck, it wasn't like they would attack anyone…right?

"Some use you were," The darker of the painted dogs barked as he waved his arms about and stared at his fellow canine.

The tan painted dog made a few paw gestures, an ice cream sandwich hanging from his mouth.

"Perimeter?! You were checking the perimeter?"

The other painted dog nodded happily and continued to munch on his cold treat.

"And that perimeter just so happened to be at the local gas station in the frozen food section?"

Once again the other canine nodded happily.

"You are useless sometimes ya know?"

The comment didn't seem to phase the painted dog whose tail swished back and forth as he devoured the ice cream sandwich before reaching into a bag and producing another one. It was at this point the more verbal of the canines noticed Judy approaching.

"Officer Hopps," The painted dog said with a friendly nod.

Judy had grown used to other members of the ZPD knowing who she was. Sadly she had become rather well known in the department, being the one who caused so much mandatoried overtime to become available.

"Just wanted to come and thank you for the assist earlier," Judy said as she stopped just shy of their truck and held out a paw.

The darker painted dog smiled and took the small bunny's paw and gave it a firm shake.

"Delta, and always happy to help a fellow mammal in blue," The canine said with a smile.

The other painted dog turned to look at Judy, his bright yellow eyes going wide as he suddenly took a step towards Judy. Delta reached out though and grabbed his fellow painted mammal by the collar of his dark blue BDUs.

"Ah ah ah," Delta said firmly, the other canine getting a sad look on his face. "This is Atom. He is on a bit of a sugar high right now and when he gets like that he tries to hug whatever mammal is nearby."

"Really?" Judy asked, surprised to hear of such a friendly predator. Her brow raised in disbelief which was her downfall.

Delta looked at Judy's smug look and smirked.

"Really," The canine said simply as he let go of Atom who dropped his bag of ice cream treats and suddenly lunged at Judy who was instantly scooped up in a warm hug.

"Officer Atom?!" Judy blurted out in shock, her panic state calming rather quickly as she felt the large painted dog squeeze her gently and nuzzle his muzzle under her chin. She didn't know why but after the day's events she actually needed a hug, even if she didn't want to admit it.

Delta was of little help, the painted dog wheezing as he held onto his sides.

-Present Day-

Judy had actually needed the support from the two odd canines during those times. Sure she left the ZPD eventually, but she always had a fond memory or two thanks to the two oddballs from the ZPD K-9 team.

Seeing the two canines pull up in Tundra Town brightened Judy's day, not that she was down, to begin with. It was just nice seeing some old friends.

"Doing great Delta, and how is my favorite member of the K-9 unit today?" Judy asked as she smiled up at her friend.

Delta leaned back in his seat and looked over at his partner, "Oi Goofball! Judy asked you a question."

Judy rolled her eyes as Delta looked back at the bunny and winked, "Been ok, lots of work lately. A few teams are down right now because of various things so guess who has to pick up the slack.."

"Oh geez really?"

"Yeah," Delta grumbled, "Could be worse though. It's not like some member of precinct 1 caused mass hysteria or something."

Judy's eyelids drooped at the comment as she stared back at the painted dog. Nick let out a laugh but quickly fell silent at the look Judy gave him. The fox turned back to the painted dog and tried to shake his head and look stern but the ways his lips curled gave it away.

"So where you two off to anyways?" Judy asked as she crossed her arms.

Delta let out a sigh and nodded down the road which slowly inclined up the side of the mountain most of the snow had avalanched down from.

"Apparently while up on the ridges inspecting the damage some engineers found something odd. They requested a sweep of the item and the area which is why we are about to freeze our tails off."

"Oh come on it's not that bad Delta," Nick began. "I always painted you as the warm furred type."

Delta remained silent as he looked at Nick and then slowly turned to look at Judy, "You mind hitting him for that painted remark later?"

"Will do, he has built up quite the tab today," Judy said with a smirk.

Nick snorted as he hopped down from the K-9 truck.

"You all stay safe now," Judy said seriously as Delta put the truck into drive.

"Thanks," Delta said with a nod.

Atom poked his head up and waved at Nick and Judy happily as the truck slowly pulled away and up towards the sloping roads.

"So Carrots," Nick began with that annoyingly smug tone of his. "Just you and me alone again."

Judy was normally very professional while on shift but she had a feeling even Bogo wouldn't mind what she did next. The doe reached down and made a small snowball while the fox wasn't looking and lobbed it at the back of his head. Nick snorted with laughter as he rubbed his now cold fur and gave Judy a look.

"Keep that up and no food on a stick for you, just regular stick-less food and who wants to live in a world like that?"

The energy between the two seemed slightly renewed after Delta and Atom's arrival. Judy explaining how she had first met the pair of odd canines. Nick explaining he knew Delta from a bar he had recently started to frequent. He actually knew Atom from his old hustling days. Nick going into detail how Atom one time bought out a whole cart of pawpsicle and started passing them out to some kits in Sahara Square.

"Mind you he kept like 5 for himself," Nick said as Judy laughed, the image of Atom running around throwing red pawpsicle at unsuspecting mammals was rather amusing.

"Tundra this is Kilo 16," Came a familiar voice over the radio. Judy's ears went up as she heard Delta's voice over the radio in the car. She looked at Nick who had a curious expression and nodded, the two reading one each other's thoughts. As one they leaned closer to the open window of their squad car and listened in to the transmission. If Delta was on the airwaves something must have been up.

"Go ahead Kilo 16."

"Notify EOD my partner has detected a positive odor on the 13 Bravo. We are clearing out to a safe distance but will maintain a visual."

"10-4 notifying EOD now of an alert what's the perimeter recommendation?"

"Going with 500ft to the north of the item, it's sitting on a ledge, tell the guys to bring their climbing gear."

"Carrots…" Nick began with a somewhat hesitant tone.

"Yeah?"

"Just to confirm, what is it Atom is trained to detect again?"

"Explosives…."

* * *

 **Hey all,**

 **So...not dead! Woot! I know some of you may have forgotten you even followed this story its been so long for an alert. I am sorry about that. There has been so much going on irl for me and the fandom has also kept me very preoccupied.**

 **We are still working on a cover for this new story. I hope to have an update soon because it will give you all an idea where this story is going.**

 **I hope you all liked seeing Delta and Atom again. They are gonna have more goofy moments in the near future so stay tuned!**

 **Thank you again for all the reviews, follows, and support during this time. I greatly appreciate you all and hope you enjoy this little update. I hope to have more soon.**

 **-Blue**


	5. We are 10-7

-We are 10-7-

One would think that when the detection team had alerted on something that everything would turn to chaos.

Big armored trucks would rumble onto the scene, firetrucks would be scattered around the area with the lights flashing, paramedics desperately running around with patients on gurneys.

Yeah….no.

Instead, Nick and Judy found themselves looking at the same stretch of snow-covered street for the remainder of their shift. The EOD team didn't come through their checkpoint. Apparently, they had already been deployed at the command center which was several blocks away. So when the call came over the radio that explosive material had been found the team simply loaded up and left from the main camp.

What was even more annoying was how now the detection team and ordinance team changed radio frequencies to keep their chatter not only on the down low but also so they had a clear frequency to work on. The last thing they wanted was the radio taken up by requests for a bathroom break from a checkpoint.

Add that to the fact that not even the press showed up to poke around and you had one mind-numbingly boring shift.

By the time the EOD team had finally cleared the scene and the all-clear was given Judy and Nick were at the end of their shift. Since the perimeter had been collapsed so citizens could return home they didn't need to wait for relief either.

"Well, Carrots, another day another dollar," Nick repeated his end of shift mantra as they loaded up into their squad car.

Judy actually was glad to hear the same words she always heard from her fox partner. As the shift had carried on they put more and more distance from the embarrassing events of the day before. From the looks of it, things were returning to normal for the fox and bunny pair. Even if it just meant that pair were still just friends.

"It's a good thing one of us packed some snacks in their duty bag," Judy teased from the passenger seat as she gave Nick a wink, "Because a certain cheap fox seemed to have found a way of squirming out of his lunch buying duties."

"It took a lot of planning but in the end, I feel covering half of Tundra Town in snow was worth not having to buy you lunch," Nick chuckled before glancing at Judy. "Won't lie I was curious how you planned to embarrass yourself today."

Judy's eyes went wide and a warm blush went up her ears which quickly fell behind her head.

"Nick seriously…?" Judy grumbled.

"Hey Carrots," Nick pulled the squad car over into an alleyway which caused Judy to look over at Nick with a curious gaze. "Maybe I was a bit rash yesterday."

"What?" Judy blurted out her eyes still wide with both shock and confusion.

"Listen, I just was caught off guard was all," Nick began to explain as he turned in his seat and looked at the small bunny next to him, a hesitation in his eyes, but also something more, a hunger.

"Nick it is ok I-", Judy began but fell silent when she realized Nick was leaning closer to her.

"There is no reason we shouldn't try this," Nick said as he leaned even closer, climbing over his own seat and towering over Judy who let her mouth fall open.

"Nick?"

"Try everything right?" Nick asked as he licked his muzzle, one of his large paws reaching up and gently rubbing Judy's cheek.

"Oh wow…" Judy let out as her eyelids drooped.

"Carrots?" Nick asked in a whisper.

"Yes, Nick?"

"Oh, Carrots?"

 _Oh my gosh, we are going to do it! We are gonna kiss!_

"Carrots?"

Something felt off. The way Nick managed to say Judy's cute little nickname without moving his lips was kind of impressive. That's when it hit Judy.

 _Wait….no…nonononono_

"Carrots?!"

Judy suddenly woke up, nearly jumping out of her seat, fortunately for her, she was still buckled up.

The small bunny checked her surroundings and groaned. They were in their squad car which was currently stuck in the traffic just on the perimeter of Tundra Town.

"Maybe we should turn the heat off?" Nick suggested as he reached over to the control panel by the _dash_ board. He then looked over at the embarrassed bunny, "I nearly dozed off myself."

"Sorry Nick," Judy grumbled, realizing that she had drifted off in the warm air of the squad car. That once again her imagination had played tricks on her through a dream.

"So," Nick began as he stifled a yawn, "Care to explain why you were mumbling my name in your sleep?"

 _Oh, Cheese and Crackers!_

"Heh yeah…umm…" Judy frantically racked her brain for an excuse as to why she would be mumbling the name of the mammal next to her. It suddenly hit her, "Just berating dream you for skipping out on buying me lunch."

The doe was actually rather proud of her last-minute tactic and felt a wave of relief wash over-

"You were dreaming of us kissing weren't you."

 _Damnit!_

"No ew why would I be dreaming that?"

Judy didn't dare look over to the seat next to her, knowing full well a pair of unconvinced emerald green eyes were on her.

"Ok Carrots, lunch," Nick said with a smug chuckle.

 _Him….it just had to be him?!_

"So how about I buy you drinks instead to make up for lunch, don't want my rep as a stand-up officer to be tarnished."

"Stand up officer?" Judy asked it was her turn to chuckle as she finally glanced over at her partner. "Think you mean stand-up comedian."

"What do you call a three-hump camel?" Nick asked as he wiggled his eyebrows at the bunny across from him.

Judy let out a laugh and shook her head, "Don't you know any other jokes?"

"Oh lots, but you have to pay extra to hear those."

"Put it on my tab."

"A weasel walks into a bar, the bartender asks what can I get you? Pop goes the weasel."

Judy closed her eyes and groaned as she put a paw to her forehead.

"Hey now don't be hating, that one cost you."

"Cost me?! I would have paid not to hear that one," Judy teased.

"Paying not to hear them, got it," Nick said with a smirk. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke again, "Wow Carrots this is costing you a fortune."

"You can't charge me for being silent!" Judy shot back as she waved her paws about.

The rest of the car ride back to the main precinct was more of the same. Nick being his regular smug and goofy self as Judy tried to one-up the fox's wit.

It wasn't all jokes though. As it turned out Nick was serious about his offer to buy Judy drinks which surprised the doe. While they were used to spending a lot of time with one another after work they had never really gone to a bar together. Not in the way Nick was suggesting at least. Sure there was the occasion or two where they went with friends or fellow officers. This, however, sounded just like the two of them.

Try as Judy might she couldn't keep her imagination in check. She began to wonder what she could wear that may wow the fox.

 _It's not a date, its drinks with a friend. Calm down, Judy. We are just going to go have some drinks at some bar and then back to my place. ALONE! Not with him, don't even try….what if I try? Cheese and crackers am I actually thinking of seducing my partner?!_

"So let's say 7? I can swing by and pick you up."

"Which bar you thinking?" Judy asked, the destination would most likely tell her what kind of situation this was, it would also help the doe pick an outfit.

"Now that is a surprise," Nick said with a smirk.

"Oh come on Nick," Judy groaned as she looked up at the ceiling of their car. "You know how I am with surprises."

"You know you love them."

"Kinda, why don't you just tell me so I know if I need to wear something nice?"

"You always wear something nice," Nick pointed out which caused the doe to blush.

"So Bunny Burrow special it is."

"Actually," Nick said as he thought of something. "You still have one of your ZPD shirts?"

Judy glanced over at Nick with a disbelieving look, she then reached down and patted her vest, "That's like my whole wardrobe their slick."

"I meant like a running shirt or something," Nick laughed. "You can't go drinking in uniform." The fox paused, his eyes going wide, "Wait can we go drinking in uniform?!"

Judy snorted and shook her head, "No Nick, we can't, it's against-"

"That's what I thought," Nick grumbled.

"But I think I have a shirt that says ZPD, maybe one from my academy days."

"Perfect, Recruit Carrots."

"So casual?" Judy asked as she raised an eyebrow, "What bar were you thinking?"

"Nope," Nick said simply, trying to convince the doe to just accept that this would be a surprise.

"The Watering Hole in the Savanna District?"

Nick remained silent.

"The snapped Branch in the Forest district?"

Still silence.

"The Ice Block? The Waterside? The Meadowland Tavern? Howlers?" Judy continued to list the different bars she could think of. She soon ran out and decided restaurants, sadly the fox kept the same amused look on his face which told Judy nothing.

 _You would think after working together for so long I would be able to read him better…_

When they pulled up to a red light Nick casually reached over and picked up the car's paw-held and clicked on the small black button on the side, "Central from Zulu 34"

"Go ahead Zulu 34," Came a female voice on the other end.

Nick looked over at Judy with a smug smirk before speaking, "10-7"

A few hours later a rather confused bunny in her navy blue ZPD t-shirt stood in front a rather inconspicuous brick building with an odd set of numbers in bright blue neon.

"10-7?" Judy asked as she tilted her head.

Nick who had just finished up with the Zuber driver walked up and stood next to Judy in a black ZPD shirt with a blue line running down the side. The fox looked straight ahead at a black rhino who had been sitting on a strained looking stool, the large mammal, however, stood up at the sight of Nick and crossed his arms.

"You are going to love it Carrots," Nick said as he strolled towards the somewhat annoyed looking rhino.

"Wait so that's the name?"

"Yup," Nick said as he reached into his back pocket and produced his wallet, flipping it open and presenting it to the bouncer.

"You got a lot of nerve showing up here Wilde," The rhino grumbled as he took the fox's wallet and checked the ZPD badge inside.

"Oh come on now Petey you're not still mad about that are you?" Nick asked with a chuckle.

"Why is it called the 10-7? I mean I thought it was the address. Do they know what it means in 10 code?" Judy asked as she scurried up beside Nick.

Petey shoved the badge back at Nick, pressing it against the fox's chest causing the vulpine to nearly fall back, "Come on now Petey, act nice, I brought you all a new customer."

"Really now?" The large mammal asked as he looked down at Judy. "You really want to be seen with the likes of him?"

Judy's lip curled slightly as she looked right into the rhino's eyes, surprised to see a kind of softness in his light brown eyes.

"Well he did promise to buy me a drink, but maybe I can convince him to sit a few tables down," Judy shot back.

The rhino roared with laughter as he held out his large hooves, "I like this one Wilde, so judging from the shirt you're ZPD. And I only know of one bunny working there."

Judy looked at Nick who held up his wallet, showing off his own ZPD badge. Judy followed the fox's instructions and produced her wallet and pawed it over to the rhino who gently opened up the small wallet and eyed the badge.

"Well well, Officer Hopps," The rhino said with a smirk. "Nice to finally meet you. One of your biggest fans works the bar so be prepared to take pictures because don't think she is going to take a no for an answer."

"Nice to meet you too Petey, can't wait to meet her," Judy said, her natural friendly demeanor coming out. "So what is it my partner did to earn such a welcome? Not that it's uncommon….seems to be the normal way mammals react when they see Nick."

"Hey now!" Nick shot back but laughed none the less.

"Let's just say we aren't going to be playing cards with him anytime soon," Petey said as he looked over at the fox and then back at Judy, returning her wallet.

"Ah, yeah I learned that the hard way a while back, had to buy him lunch for like a week," Judy grumbled.

"What a week," Nick said in a dreamlike state.

"So first time to the 10-7 right?" Petey asked, trying to ignore Nick and his smug attitude.

"Yes," Judy said as she looked back up at the large blue neon sign. "You all know it means Out of Service in 10 code right? Is the bar out of service all the time?" Judy asked with a playful wink.

Petey chuckled as he looked at Nick, "This one has some wits about her, she will fit right in."

"Wouldn't exactly call it wit- OUCH!" Nick received a quick slug on the arm, the fox stepping to the side and rubbing his fur.

"Oh yeah, she will be right at home here," Petey roared with laughter before looking back at Judy. "10-7 is actually the best name for this place in my opinion."

"How so?" Judy asked excitedly.

Petey looked over at Nick who thought for a moment, "I know you want to Petey, so do the thing."

The rhino smirked and gave the fox a nod before looking back down at the bunny. He took in a deep breath and then began with a quickly prepared speech, "Alright Officer Hopps, you are 10-7 and around others who are as well. No picking fights with the firefighters and don't expect the paramedics to help you with a hangover because they are going to be too busy nursing their own."

Judy tilted her head at first in some confusion but it finally hit her, this wasn't just any bar.

Petey stepped to the side and pushed the main door open and revealed the interior of the bar, "Welcome Judy to the 10-7, the first responder bar, thank you for your service."

Judy was in a dreamlike state that she didn't know if she thanked Petey or not for his kind words. Her feet had minds of their own as she slowly walked into the bar, her eyes widening in astonishment.

"Thanks, Petey," Nick said as he followed Judy inside.

"You all have a good night Wilde, and I plan on winning back my money next week," With that, the rhino closed the door behind the two officers and returned to sitting on his bar stool which made a strained noise in protest.

The 10-7 was a mix of an old brick tavern with a modern twist. Judy was amazed at how homely everything felt while still feeling refreshed.

A bright flash of blue and red caught the doe's attention. She looked up and let out a gasp, her paws going to her mouth.

Hanging from the ceiling at various angles were the different lightbars one would normally see on top of emergency vehicles. Occasionally one would come to life and flash suddenly. Judy recognized one from a ZPD cruiser right away. There were single dome lights one would see on undercover vehicles, large ones that belonged to the ZFD, even some bright white and reds from an ambulance.

As Judy looked at the lights her gaze reached a series of flags also hanging from the ceiling. Each one was from the different departments in Zootopia that helped protect the citizens of the city.

The ZPD flag caused Judy's chest to swell with pride as she studied the shield in the center of a sea of light blue.

"So do I know how to pick a bar or what?" Nick asked as he leaned down, his muzzle right next to Judy's head.

"Nick this place is so…."

"I know."

"How long have you known about this place?"

"Been friends with one of the bartenders for ages and the owner and I-" Nick didn't get a chance to finish as Judy turned around and shoved the fox playfully.

"You have known about this amazing bar for ages now and you never brought it up?! This bar is made for someone like me!" Judy said as she put a paw on her hip and eyed the fox who snorted.

"Yeah, why you never bring it up, Wilde?" A zebra in a firemammals shirt managed to slur as he stumbled past.

"Go sit down with the other children Ed," Nick said with a laugh.

"No, want to see you get your butt whooped," The zebra said with a laugh.

Judy looked up at the zebra who raised a full glass at Judy and nodded, "I'll whoop him on the bar later Ed, and then you for not telling me about this place too."

"Ah dang it…" The zebra groaned. "Good seeing you Judy."

With that, the larger mammal stumbled away.

Judy glanced back at her partner, "So, care to explain why I am not learning about this bar till just now?"

"Because didn't take you for the bar type till two weeks ago," Nick said with a sly smile.

Judy's eyes went wide as she hurried over to Nick and put her paws to his muzzle, "Don't! I hadn't eaten anything that day and the drinks were just…"

Judy slowly removed her paws from Nick's muzzle, "You wiggle your tail a lot when you're drunk."

After a series of arm slaps and threats of shaving the fox's tail the pair of officers made their way through the bar. Judy couldn't help but notice how Nick seemed to scan the room. At first, she thought he was taking in their surroundings but she soon realized that Nick seemed to be looking for someone.

"Hmmm, where is that annoying little-" Nick would grumble as they weaved through the bar.

Judy tried to figure out what the fox was up to but was soon distracted by her own surroundings. Whoever had designed the bar had really gone all out to accommodate the various mammals that visited.

While most bars were open to all species it was obvious who they mainly catered for. Some bars would have massive booths designed for larger clientele that left smaller mammals like Nick and Judy to sit in what would feel like a private room of a booth.

Other bars were cramped because they mainly served smaller species. One of them in the Meadowlands boasted serving all mammals but when one visited it was obvious it was meant for bunnies because no one else could even fit in the front door.

The 10-7, however, seemed to have taken the time to accommodate everyone. There were barstools of various sizes spread around the bar so no one felt like they were sitting on a table. Special devices on the side of each stool would help lower and raise the furniture so one could be level with the bar. The bar itself had several large tiers. Like a series of long steps, it was designed so the bartenders could easily serve mammals whether they be the largest of water buffalo or the smallest of mice. There was even a large elephant sitting casually at one end of the bar, drinking what could easily be described as a barrel of beer.

Judy spotted a few familiar faces around the bar, making a list of mammals she intended to give a hard time to later since they all looked like regulars which meant they knew about the bar and had never told the bunny from the ZPD.

As much as Judy would have liked to wander around the bar and take in all the interesting sights her ears went up when she heard Nick speak.

"Hmm, she is around here somewhere I know it," Nick said with a sigh.

"Who ya looking for Slick?" Judy asked as they made their way through the bar, looking for a spot to sit.

"Your biggest fan," Nick said with a smirk, "Been having to deal with her shenanigans for ages now, she kept begging me to bring you here."

"And why didn't you?" Judy asked as she stuck out her tongue.

"Was trying to keep you from a certain bubbly nuisance."

"Looking out for your partner huh?"

"More like worrying about you two ganging up on me," Nick corrected which caused Judy to laugh.

"Oh I want to meet this mystery mammal even more now," Judy said excitedly with a mischievous smile.

"See, that right there, that's the reason I haven't brought you here till now," Nick grumbled as he put a paw on Judy's shoulder and guided her through the series of different sized high top tables. "She will just have to come find us at our booth."

"Oh so been here so many times you have a booth?"

"Did I say my booth Carrots? No. I said our booth."

"What makes it ours?"

Nick nodded ahead at small half-moon low booth. It looked more like a blue circular couch than anything but Judy didn't mind. It wasn't until they were closer that she realized why this booth was "their booth".

The walls of the bar were covered in various pictures of mammals in different uniforms through the ages. There were pics from the ZPD, ZFD, ZEMS, all the big ones were represented through pictures and the occasional framed newspaper clipping.

The wall above "their" booth was no different. The framed image, however, was something that made Judy get all warm and fuzzy inside when she saw it.

Hanging on the wall behind their table was a framed newspaper from the ZNN print edition. The headline was about Nick's graduation "ZPD Welcomes First Fox to Force."

A picture of Judy and Nick in their dress uniforms was in the center of the paper. Both of them smiling at the camera. While Judy had tried to stand at attention she had given in and put a paw on Nick's back when he placed a friendly arm around her shoulder.

"Oh my gosh!" Judy exclaimed as she scrambled onto the cushioned seat and stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at the picture. Even though she had seen it many times before it never failed to elicit the same emotions.

She felt her chest swell with pride as she looked up at the picture. She reached out and pressed a paw to the glass right against the spot with Nick's smiling face.

"If you think the fox in the picture is handsome you should see the real thing," Nick teased as he got settled into his seat.

Judy rolled her eyes and looked down at the vulpine who smirked up at her.

"Did you do this?" Judy asked excitedly, her tail flicking with joy.

"Wish I could take credit but I don't pick where the pictures go," Nick said as he raised his paws. "It is a more recent edition though. A certain someone rearranged the pictures a while back so you and I could have our own booth, think it was her way of getting us to come in."

Judy's ears raised up at Nick's explanation, "Alright, where is this mammal? I need to thank them muzzle to muzzle because this is awesome."

"Well well well," Came a lovely sounding voice behind Judy. "Look who finally showed up."

Judy turned around, her ears turning a rosy color as she realized she had just been caught not only standing on the furniture but putting her paws on a picture. The mammal before her was an attractive looking otter. The small predator was sporting a bright red shirt with the bar's logo printed in white letters across her chest.

"Judy this is Em," Nick said casually.

Judy looked at the otter, then to the picture, then back to Nick who shook his head.

 _Not her? Ok, then who mister?_

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Judy said as she plopped down in her seat and looked across the low circular table at the otter.

"Ma'am?" Em asked as she raised an eyebrow and stared at Judy with a pair of brilliantly green eyes. "You aren't on shift anymore sweetie, don't be so formal."

The otter glanced over at Nick who shrugged, "She has a problem turning it off sometimes, how ya been Em?"

"Been good," The otter said sweetly as she reached out and adjusted part of Nick's sleeve. "We haven't seen you in a spell, but bringing in Trisha's crush means all is forgiven."

Judy couldn't explain it but she felt a sudden pang of jealousy course through her at the sight of this mammal touching her partner. She was so focused on Em's paw and why it was lingering on Nick's arm she nearly missed the last comment.

"Wait, whose crush?" Judy asked as she tilted her head.

"Speaking of the little troublemaker," Nick mumbled as he looked through the crowd.

"She left early," Em said with a smirk as she reached for her cell phone. "Which means I get to do this." The otter raised her cell phone up and aimed it right at Judy, "Alright get together you two."

Nick rolled his eyes and scooted over towards Judy, placing an arm around her shoulder. Judy suddenly felt bad for feeling jealousy towards Em, after all, she had just found a way to make Nick hold her. It was the little victories sometimes. Judy leaned against Nick and rested her head against the fox, beaming at the otter's cellphone.

"Perfect," Em said with a smirk as she lowered her phone and examined the screen. After sending out a quick message Em returned to her bartending duties, "So what can I get for you two?"

"The Signal 2 back in stock?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"Just got the shipment today, hence why blue eyes isn't here, she had to come in early for deliveries so have a feeling she will be giving the boss hell for that," Em said with a chuckle as she looked over at Judy. "And for you sweetie?"

"Umm, well…" Judy mumbled as she looked at the table for a menu. Em noticed the doe's stare and her eyes went wide.

"Where in the world is the menu?" The otter asked as she glanced at the table. She looked over her shoulder at the other tables and noticed they too were devoid of the 10-7's menu. "Taconny was supposed to prep tables today."

"She will probably want a daiquiri of some kind," Nick began which caused Judy to glance over at the fox, her cheeks warming at the fact he knew her preferred method of drinking.

"Preference on flavor or dealers choice?" Em asked as she glanced at Judy.

"Surprise me," Judy said playfully.

"Beetle flavored it is," Em said with a wink.

"Wait Em!" Judy began but the otter was already gone.

"Oh, beetle flavored? Good choice Carrots," Nick teased.

"Taconny where are all my menus?" Em shouted from somewhere near the bar.

"They are totally not being used as a fort in the breakroom, I swear….seriously though don't go into the break room," An energetic sounding voice responded.

"So, the Signal 2?" Judy asked as she raised an eyebrow at Nick.

"Don't knock it till you try it Carrots," Nick shot back.

"Isn't that signal code for drunk disorderly?"

"We took a Zuber here too so I don't have to worry about driving."

Judy busted out laughing at the last comment and shook her head as she sat back in her cushioned seat. The doe slowly glanced around the bar and the various mammals currently enjoying their night out. She soon noticed how almost everyone in the bar was in some type of half uniform. The occasional set of BDUs giving away a mammal's job, or how they spoke to one another. The firemammals were easy to spot because of their loud and somewhat obnoxious behavior.

After surveying the patrons Judy glanced around the bar and enjoyed some of the different images across the bar. Nick took notice of this and occasionally helped Judy by pointing out certain pictures.

"You know there are two more of you in here?" Nick commented as he looked back at Judy.

The doe's eyes went wide as she sat in a kind of shocked eagerness, "Really? Which ones?! Wait…Nick…Which ones?"

"Think one of you joining the ZPD is by the bar and the other is-" Nick was interrupted by a series of chirps coming from his phone.

The fox reached down and produced his cell phone and chuckled.

"What's up?" Judy asked as she scooted closer to the fox.

Nick simply turned the phone so Judy could read the message.

"How is it you bring her in right after I left Wilde? Thought we were friends? : ( "

"Tell her to come back and meet me," Judy said excitedly.

Em arrived with a pair of drinks for the fox and bunny duo, she glanced at Nick's phone and gave him a knowing smile.

"She just hung up with me, think she had a heart attack when she got the picture."

"She should come back," Judy explained.

"Oh trust me I am sure the thought crossed her mind, but even that girl has her limits, stopping the express to the Forest district would be kind of hard."

"Don't tempt her now, bet she wouldn't hesitate to derail a train or two," Nick chuckled as he typed out a message before setting his phone down. "Thanks for the drinks Em."

Judy eyed her own drink which was a bright orange with red swirls, "Beetle?"

"Mango with strawberry," Em corrected with a smile. "Think Trisha would shave me if I served her hero beetle on her first night at the bar."

"The second visit though is going to be all beetle," Nick teased as he raised his glass.

"If you want I can find you another table Judy," Em teased as she glanced at Nick.

"No its fine, guess I can deal with him, better than putting up with the ZFD," Judy chuckled.

Em glanced back at Judy, "Now I know you aren't hating on my firemammals."

"I am just curious why we still call them first responders," Nick began which caused Em's eye to twitch as she slowly looked over at the vulpine. "I mean don't they wait for ZPD to secure the scene. Maybe we should call them second responders."

"Why do ZPD carry tranq guns?" Em asked as she put a paw on her hip. Before either Nick or Judy could answer they got a response, "Because they can't lift a firehose."

There were a few seconds of silence before the three shared a laugh.

To some, it may look as if the ZPD and ZFD didn't get along. In truth they did, splendidly actually. They may wear different uniforms but they were all on the same team with two goals in mind: Protect the citizens of the city and get home safe. They just enjoyed giving one another a hard time and from the looks of it the staff of the 10-7 were not only in on the jokes but provided some of their own.

Em excused herself to check on other patrons while Judy and Nick settled into their seats, each of them sipping generous amounts of their drinks. Occasionally Nick would get a message from Trisha which caused the fox to laugh and show Judy.

"So who is Trisha and why is she a fan of me?"

"We are all fans of you Judy," Nick said as he took a sip of beer, Judy had to look away for a moment lest Nick see the blush going up her ears. "I mean I didn't get my fur tattooed with you for nothing."

"Oh my gosh, Nick seriously?" Judy guffawed and had to hold her sides.

"Oh yeah, right on old lefty," Nick said as he sat up slightly, shaking his rear which caused Judy to laugh even harder.

As the night carried on and the drinks kept flowing the two smaller officers from the ZPD shared stories and jokes. Even though they worked with one another every day they still found something to talk about.

Unfortunately for Judy, Nick had a particular topic in mind after they both hit drink number 3.

"So Carrots," Nick began as he set down another empty glass. "About the kiss."

Judy's ears fell behind her head and she looked down at her lap. To her surprise, however, she felt a gentle paw under her chin, gently moving her gaze upward to a pair of caring green eyes.

"Do we have to talk about it again? I mean I have already apologized and-"

"I want to talk about us for just a second and then it's back to regular jokes and stories."

"Can we skip the jokes?"

"Don't you wanna hear about the three-humped…" Nick began but trailed off thanks to the unamused look on Judy's face. "Ok ok, no jokes. But there is something I need to say."

 _Oh, gosh…I'm going to need another drink._

"I want you to know Carrots that even though I don't wish to pursue the same things you do I still care about you," Nick began.

Judy's lips slowly curled into an embarrassed smile.

"I care about you a lot," Nick continued. "You have done for me things no one else ever has. You completely turned my life around. You made me someone I can be proud of when I look into the mirror. The only other mammal who has ever done that is my mother. So that should tell you how serious I am."

"I'm like your mother?" Judy asked as her eyelids drooped.

"You even have her annoyed tone down," Nick teased as he reached over and gently scooped up Judy's paw in his own. "I don't mean you're like my mother. I mean you have done some amazing things for me. Things that I will never be able to repay you for."

Judy gently squeezed Nick's paw with her own as she looked into his eyes, she could tell that on this rather rare occasion how sincere he was actually being and she was truly touched.

So what if he wasn't pronouncing his love for her and making plans for more dates. There was still love between them and she didn't dare regret what kind it was. This fox meant so much to her that she was happy to simply know he cared about her.

"I just don't think I wanna risk what we have right now," Nick said with a sigh. "To lose you… I just can't imagine a day where I show up to work and we aren't what we are."

"Right now?" Judy asked as her ears raised.

Nick's eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to say something. His eyes darted from side to side before settling on Judy. The way he looked at her at that moment made Judy's legs go weak. If she were a weaker bunny she may have fainted at what Nick did next.

He slowly nodded as his eyelids drooped.

"So you're saying what?"

"I am saying that we are an awesome crime-fighting duo," Nick chuckled. "We are partners and friends. Who really knows what the future holds."

Judy tried to keep her emotions in check but her foot gave her away as a series of rapid thumps came from under the table.

Nick glanced down and then at the doe who simply blushed, "Sorry."

"I want you to promise me something Carrots…"

"Anything Nick."

"Don't hold back on my account."

"Hold back?"

"If things change or opportunities arise… I don't want you to wait on my account, I want you to-"

Judy reached up and put a paw to Nick's lips, silencing the fox. The stayed that way for a few seconds before Judy lowered her paw and simply nodded at the fox.

"Another round?" Em asked as she approached the table and eyed the two empty glasses.

"I mean you did Zuber," Judy pointed out to Nick who looked as if he was about to decline another round. The handsome fox looked back at Judy and smirked.

"Sure Em, keep them coming."

"Another round, I keep texting a certain someone teasing her. I know I am going to be in trouble now but this is just too fun," Em said with a mischievous smirk.

The rest of the night was a blur to Judy who was happy to just be spending time with Nick. It was towards the end of round 4 that the bunny finally scrambled onto Nick's lap and curled up. Nick having witnessed just how cuddly the bunny could get after a few drinks.

Much to Judy's happiness, she felt a pair of strong fox arms wrap around her, holding her close. To her, it didn't really matter what title she and Nick shared. To just bury her head into his chest and breath in his scent as he told her jokes was enough. As the spirits in Judy's system swirled the world around her the bunny closed her eyes. Try as she might she just couldn't stay awake. She was so content resting on Nick that she slowly drifted off.

A clicking noise nearby caused Nick's ears to raise, he looked over at Em who had her phone raised.

"Seriously?"

"Oh come on Nick, you two are so cute together."

"We are just friends," Nick muttered drunkenly as he finished another drink.

"Sure Wilde," Em chuckled as she strolled away with a smirk on her lovely lips.

Seconds later Nick received a text, glancing at the phone the fox groaned and rolled his eyes.

The image Em had just taken was on his screen, quickly followed by a message from someone labeled: Blue eyed monster.

"Sure Wilde :P"

* * *

 **Hey all!**

 **So this story is not dead! Yay!**

 **Sorry for the extremely long space between updates. Stuff in real life have gotten kind of crazy, had our ups but also some downs. We, however, are standing tall.**

 **Special Thanks time:**

 **OceRydia made an awesome cover for this story. Heck, I think half of you are here because she made the cover because she is awesome! The cover is hinting at some future events that I am sure you will all start putting together. Thanks again Oce for the amazing picture. If you all enjoy the coverpic you should head over to Oce's deviant art, , and all that stuff. She has some truly amazing pictures out there. Some of them including a certain brown bunny bartender.**

 **Thank you all again for your continued support and patience. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, more coming soonish I hope.**

 **-Blue**


	6. Something Wrong

-Something Wrong-

Life seemed to have returned to normal for the fox and bunny cop duo. Or as normal as life could be working for the ZPD.

Every day brought new and odd calls. Even a 20-year veteran would tell you that no call was exactly the same. Of course, they would be the same scenario for the most part, but they always included new mammals, new surroundings, and the occasional curveball.

Fortunately, Judy and Nick had managed to work well off of one another. Nick with his years of experience in the melting pot of a metropolis and Judy with her knowledge on ZPD procedures.

Nick suggested on several occasions that they apply for one of the many cop drama shows that seemed to be taking up all the airtime lately.

"Come on Carrots," Nick began as they returned to the cool confines of their squad car and away from the humidity that was currently washing over the Rainforest district. "It would be great. We can call it Fox and the Bun. You the no-nonsense bunny who plays by the rules. Me the handsome comic relief."

"First off I am filled with lots of nonsense," Judy chuckled from the driver seat as she finished filling out their end of the ticket they had just given to a speeder who cautiously pulled out into traffic and drove away, this time under the speed limit.

"Really? When?" Nick shot back as he looked out the window and gave a lazy wave to passerby.

"Missing Mammals," Judy said as her lips curled.

"Ugh….you just had to bring that one up didn't you Carrots," Nick groaned as he rolled his eyes. He then began to mimic Judy, "Its called a hustle, felony tax evasion…"

Judy had to stifle a giggle as she remembered how over a year ago she had tricked Nick into helping her solve a case before he had joined the ZPD. Her digits gently gripped the carrot pen in her paw. It had run out of ink a while back and she had been somewhat distraught at the thought of losing it. Leave it to Nick to save the day, he had not only found a special refill bottle for it but managed to convince a friend to help them when it came to refilling. The pen itself had been designed for a one time use kind of deal. Nick, however, had a feeling the pen meant a lot to Judy so he did his best so she wouldn't have to throw it away.

The bunny officer had become so lost in thought that she didn't notice Nick leaning over from his side of the car, a smug look on his face.

"But we are good at multiplying," Nick whispered in a teasing manner.

"Cheese and crackers!" Judy blurted out as her eyes went wide and a rosy pink went up her ears as she blushed.

"Think that is one of your best quotes yet Carrots," Nick chuckled as he wiggled his eyebrows at the bunny who could no longer look at Nick.

"Shut it, Wilde," Judy mumbled as she tried to get her composure back.

"Oh, that's it!" Nick said as he snapped his digits and sat back in his seat.

"What?" Judy groaned, knowing full well she would probably not like what Nick was about to suggest.

"For our show," Nick began as he returned to the previous subject. "I know what our hook will be."

"Do tell," Judy mumbled as she went back to finishing up their report.

"As it progresses our hero realizes she has a thing for her partner," Nick said simply.

It had been a week since the attempted kiss. A week since the 10-7. A week of Nick bringing up the incident at least 3 times a shift. Each time Judy felt mortified, not this time though.

Oh no she had been preparing herself for the eventual joke she knew would be coming that shift.

"So it's going to be a fantasy kind of thing? Because frankly, I don't think anyone is going to believe that," Judy said as her lips curled, her bright purple eyes never leaving her clipboard. "I mean he is smug, arrogant, and smells funny."

Nick lifted up one of his arms and took a sniff, "I do not!"

Judy finally glanced over at her partner who was still busy smelling himself. The two finally locked stares and sat silently for a moment. Then the laughter began.

Nick started and soon Judy followed until the squad car was filled with the sounds of the two officers laughing at one another.

"I guess your right," Nick said as he sat back in his seat. "I mean let's face it. She is so far out of his league."

Judy blushed once more and rolled her eyes, "Stop."

"She has brains, determination, a cute fluffy tail," Nick continued.

"Oh my gosh, Nick stop!" Judy laughed as she put her pen down and looked over at her partner.

"Plus her foot does this thing whenever you rub the base of her right ear a certain way."

"I was drunk!" Judy shouted at the fox, suddenly realizing that his window was down.

Judy's eyes went wide as she saw a family of bunnies walking by, the mother giving Judy a judgemental look as she hurried her kits away.

"Why do you torture me so?" Judy groaned as she fell back against her seat.

"Because its fun," Nick chuckled as he looked back at his bunny partner. "Plus you kind of set yourself up for it."

"You better be buying me the biggest lunch today," Judy grumbled as she finished up their report and secured the clipboard next to her seat.

"Oh trust me," Nick said as he stretched his arms upward, "I have a big plan for today."

The ground suddenly shook as a muffled thump from somewhere in the district echoed through the trees. Car alarms started to blare and trees continued to sway from the aftershock of the sudden tremor.

Both Nick and Judy looked at one another, eyes wide in surprise.

"Ok so that wasn't the plan," Nick pointed out before the radio on their dash started to explode with a series of loud tones.

"Attention all units this frequency, we are currently in a 10-100 status, any available units respond to the Rainforest District climate control facility. Reports of a large blast occurring somewhere inside of the facility-"

Judy barely heard the rest as she reached over to the dash and flipped a series of switches. The light bar on the roof of their cruiser suddenly came to life, blue and red lights flashing for all to see.

Nick meanwhile grabbed the paw-held radio from the dash and advised their dispatch that both he and Judy were on their way to the scene.

"What do you think it could be?" Judy asked as she weaved through the traffic, grateful for the few citizens on the road that immediately pulled over at the sight of their lights.

"Could be a lot of things," Nick grumbled as he held on to his seat. Normally he would complain about the bunny's rather aggressive driving but even he knew the necessity of speed in this situation and was grateful that Judy had graduated top of her class in rapid response driving. "A few years back they had a clogged pipe of some kind but that one sounded more like a gunshot when the metal gave out."

Judy gritted her teeth as she whipped the wheel so they could avoid a distracted pedestrian who strayed into the road. She managed to right their vehicle and continued to speed down the street.

"What could cause the whole district to rumble like that? How big are these pipes?" Judy asked, relying on her partner's knowledge of the city.

Though Judy had lived in Zootopia for over a year now it still annoyed her how little she knew about the city. With a metropolis of this size housing so many different species, it was really not the bunny's fault. A few years prior an author had tried to write about the city. Unable to fit everything into one book they instead sold knowledge of the city by the district, each one receiving its own tome in the series.

"The pipes?" Nick asked as he looked out the window, "Well let's just say we could easily drive this cruiser through them. They circulate all the water used for the rain system and steam to keep the district humid."

"If one of those pipes were to burst?"

"One already has before," Nick reminded Judy. "Like I said it sounded more like a gunshot, not some muffled thump. This was something else."

Judy had hoped to have more knowledge about where they were going but thanks to her rather rapid driving skills she managed to get them there in record time.

As their cruiser turned a corner they came upon a clearing in the buildings. The Rainforest District weather control facility was considered to be one of the cities "Vital" points, due to its ability to control most of the major functions of the districts environmental system.

Judy was always impressed with how the city architects managed to use nature as a primary theme when designing the structures around Zootopia.

Ahead of them sat one of the many giant trees that sprung up all over the district and provided many of the residents with shade and homes. Sitting at the base of the tree was a series of structures that seemed to be built right into the side of the tree. Several box-shaped storage tanks had a series of enormous pipes connecting them, the pipes led to a dome structure which had its own series of pipes leading into the tree.

"Tree itself is hollowed out," Nick explained as they approached the security gate, a frantic looking security officer waving them through. "You are looking at the heart of the district."

Once past the security barriers, they found themselves in a rather spacious parking lot. Much to Judy's dismay though the lot was actually rather full which meant that there had to be a lot of mammals still inside the facility. Several civilians could be seen frantically dashing from the the various buildings as a series of alarms blared and strobes flashed.

Nick grabbed the mic hooked up to the dash and notified their dispatch that they were now on the scene and would advise momentarily of the status but to continue to have other units in route.

Judy hopped out of the squad car and began to asses the scene. Her bright purple eyes scanning the area for an immediate threat.

"Oh thank goodness!" A hyena in an engineering coverall with the facility logo on the back approached Judy, a look of panic in her eyes.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Judy asked as she turned to the approaching canine.

"I'm fine, we just began the evacuation protocol. I don't think anyone is actually hurt but something blew up inside the facility on the upper levels."

Judy's eyes widened and she instinctively looked upward towards the top of the tree facility. Much to her confusion however she didn't notice any damage.

"It didn't breach the outer walls but the facility is definitely bleeding internally. I am in charge of fan maintenance for the vent system and the last readings I saw before I left my station told me we had some kind of problem up in the main cooling system."

"What caused all this?" Judy asked, wanting to try and get to the bottom of the problem.

"No idea. Heard this huge explosion from the upper levels then the alarms went off," The hyena said with a shrug.

In the distance, Judy picked up the tell-tale sound of the ZFD, the klaxons on their trucks clearing a path for them through traffic.

"Any smoke or fire?" Judy asked, having a feeling that the cause of all this would remain a mystery for now.

"Not that I saw-"

"Carrots!" Nick shouted from the other side of the squad car.

Judy looked over at her partner in concern, noticing a rabbit in a security uniform standing next to Nick, a look of concern on the new arrivals face.

"Got some holdouts refusing to leave the facility," Nick explained as Judy hurried over to the passenger side of their cruiser.

"What do you mean holdouts?" Judy asked in surprise.

"The operators in the main control room claim they have to transfer control over to a satellite facility on the waterfront said it will take time and that they won't leave till it is done," The buck explained.

"I thought when something like this happened it was a mandatory evacuation?!" Judy shouted as a ZFD fire rig pulled up alongside them.

Several mammals in ZFD bunker gear began to disembark their large rig and get into position. Judy had hoped with them arriving that they would be able to assist in evacuating mammals however that's when the real trouble started.

As they began to give the ZFD a sit rep several mammals came running out of the facility covered in soot.

"Fire on floor 7!" An engineer in a uniform similar to the hyenas shouted as he hurried over, the rabbit's fur had a few black marks which Judy could tell had been from a flame of some kind.

"Oh, you have got to be kitting me," Nick grumbled. He then looked to the ZFD lead who was already opening his muzzle.

"We need to focus on containment of the fire and slow its progress, who knows what damage it can do. Can you and your partner get to that control room and remove the holdouts?"

Judy practically leaped at the opportunity to help, much to Nick's annoyance.

Normally the ZPD would assist on holding the perimeter or clearing the scene of non-essentials. Rarely were they asked to actually go into a building with this kind of trouble. Seeing how they were the only other team on scene though meant they would have to answer the call.

With a plan set in place, Judy and Nick grabbed a pair of oxygen masks that they kept in the trunk of their squad car. The ZPD provided such equipment in case a situation like this arouse. The masks, however, were not meant for long exposure to hazardous environments. The tiny tanks they clipped to their belts would be good for maybe 20 minutes upon activation. Nowhere near the same time that the ZFD tanks could hold.

The pair clipped the masks and tanks to their belts then quickly made their way towards the main entrance to the control station.

As they hurried towards a pair of enormous double doors Judy glanced over her shoulder. Two ambulances were now pulling into the parking lot and setting up a staging area for any injured civilians.

They made their way around a rhino who was exiting the building, the mammal carrying a gazelle who seemed to be going into the stages of shock.

"See I told you we would get out ok, no big deal," Judy heard the rhino comforting the smaller mammal in his arms.

Once inside the facility, Judy's eyes had to adjust to the lower light level. She glanced up at the ceiling and noticed how only the emergency lights were now active. She looked over at Nick who rolled his eyes and retrieved a flashlight from his duty belt. He didn't turn it on at first but kept it ready in case they were suddenly plunged into darkness.

While wanting to maintain a kind of calm demeanor both of them understood the importance of getting to the control and getting everyone out. They silently decided to pick up the pace and began to jog down the hallway, occasionally running into a facility employee who was hurrying in the opposite direction.

Judy was grateful that whoever had designed the facility had made things simple. There was no steady winding turns or fancy architecture involved inside the halls. Everything was either straight or occasionally down a hallway on either side of them. Signs were hung all over the place giving the officers the directions they needed.

It didn't take them very long to reach the part of the facility they had been looking for. They arrived in front of a large steel door with a dark green sign that read "Operations Control".

Before Judy could reach out and open the door however Nick grabbed her paw and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Wait," Nick said firmly before slowly raising his muzzle upward and sniffing the air.

Judy found this rather odd, Nick had never used his nose like this, not seriously anyway. There had been the occasion where he teased the doe about his heightened sense of smell but he had never really used it in front of her like this.

After a moment or two, Judy finally broke the silence, "Nick?"

"Something is wrong here," Nick said in an almost cold tone as he looked around and took in their surroundings.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked in concern.

"I….I can't explain it Carrots but something feels wrong."

"We need to get them out of here," Judy said as he glanced at the door, knowing they still had a job to do. "If the fire spreads-"

"I know but…" Nick trailed off as his nose twitched. He then took a step closer to the door and took in another long whiff. Judy felt a little odd watching Nick act in such a manner. The fox turned and looked at his bunny partner. Her own purple eyes widened when she noticed an almost carnal look in Nick's eyes. "It's not safe….You trust me right?"

Judy didn't even hesitate and nodded as she reached down and unclipped her tranquilizer gun attached to her belt. Nick, however, raised his paw and took his head. Whatever was wrong it wasn't something a piece of equipment on Judy's duty belt could fix.

"What do we do Nick?" Judy asked as she tilted her head.

"We make a call."

While the reception inside the facility wasn't the best they managed to get a hold of their dispatch center via Judy's cellphone. Their radios were acting up and there was some kind of odd interference which wasn't too surprising given all the equipment currently surrounding them.

They received an update on how the fire was going. For the most part, the ZFD had managed to contain a majority of the blaze and the evacuation of the facility was almost complete. They did have reports though that a few of the mammals that worked in the main control room were missing.

That was when Nick and Judy gave an update on their situation.

"10-4, stand by," The dispatcher trailed off in a somewhat confused manner. Nick and Judy stood by for a moment or two before the voice returned. "Officer Wilde, can you please explain what exactly you mean by...off?"

Judy looked up at her partner and could tell this was a little awkward for him to explain. How was he supposed to convince someone that he had a hunch? Even though the fire had been contained by the ZFD they weren't exactly out of the woods. They were still standing inside of a building that was currently on fire and all they had to do was open a door and get the civilians out of there.

"Well, its just-" Nick said, obviously trying to find a way of explaining he smelled something odd. Judy, however, decided to jump in and help her partner.

"We are currently at the door but we are not receiving a response from anyone inside," Judy bent the truth a little. "We are concerned that there may be a hazard that we are unaware of and are requesting assistance."

Nick looked somewhat stunned but grateful none the less as he looked down at his partner who gave the fox a smug wink.

"10-4 standby while we try and organize something," The dispatcher said in a hurried manner.

"Carrots," Nick said as they waited for the dispatcher's voice to return. "Thanks."

"If you say something is wrong then something is wrong," Judy said with a smile. "I trust you partner."

They stared at one another for a moment or two before the voice on the phone returned.

"We have backup on the way."

Backup as it turned out was a pair of goofy painted dogs Judy and Nick had seen just a week prior.

Judy heard them before they even arrived, her large ears going up as she picked up some loud sniffing followed by a familiar smug voice.

When Delta and Atom turned the corner Delta froze and put his paws on his hips as he stared at Nick and Judy, "Of course we find you two here. There I was about to sit down for lunch when-"

"Lunch during a 10-100?" Judy asked as she put a paw on her hip.

"Oh please, they hadn't even finished the tone out before we hear you two already rolling to it. Thought you and wonder fox could handle yourselves," Delta teased.

Judy's lips curled into a smirk. Even though the painted dog was giving her a hard time she couldn't help but notice how quickly they had arrived which told her they had either already been on their way when the call for backup went through or was close by to provide assistance if needed.

"Well well looks like you two will actually earn your pay today," Nick said with a confident smirk as the two painted dogs approached.

While Delta kept his eyes on Nick and Judy his partner Atom had his nose up and was taking in a series of long sniffs. The lighter colored painted dog glanced down and noticed Judy, a broad open mouth smile crossing his muzzle as his tail swished.

Judy braced herself for what she knew would probably be a hug from the eager painted dog when Atom suddenly froze mid step.

All eyes went to Atom as he became rather focused in sniffing the air. He held up a paw which caused Delta to freeze and look right at his partner. Judy had never actually seen a K-9 team at work before and was somewhat impressed with how quickly the two goofy canines changed into a professional detection team.

Atom took a few cautious steps towards Nick and Judy, still sniffing loudly as he approached. He stopped and made a series of paw signals towards Delta who simply nodded before looking at Nick and Judy.

"Slowly walk towards me," Delta said as he signaled the fox and bunny pair towards him.

Nick and Judy followed the instructions and carefully moved towards Delta who looked at the floor between them and then towards the ceiling.

"No visual threat," Delta mumbled. "Wouldn't be a frequency detection or they would have set it off…"

Judy winced and realized what Delta was getting at. Atom showing such an interest in the area could only spell trouble. Delta was now listing what that trouble wasn't though. It was bad news however if these two were so interested in the area. After all they were trained to find explosives.

"Dispatch mentioned you didn't want to enter the room right?" Delta asked as he looked down at Judy before glancing at Nick.

"Yeah, we just-" Judy started to say, ready to give some excuse. Nick, however, decided to come clean.

"It's the smell in here," Nick said firmly. "It smelled wrong ya know?"

Delta shook his head which caused Nick's ears to fall back in embarrassment.

"No Nick, I don't," Delta began but before anyone could speak up he painted dog looked over at his partner, "He however does."

The whole reason Delta and Atom had been sent to this call was because Nick had smelt something odd. As it turns out Nick had been right. It hadn't been just a hunch though, he had smelt something in the air. He had detected a problem!

Atom made an odd snorting noise which caught everyone's attention. The painted dog glanced over at his partner, his brow furrowed which was odd to see such a playful mammal do. With a simple nod, he confirmed what they had all be wondering.

Delta put a paw on Judy's shoulder and nodded towards the other end of the hallway. The four members of the ZPD slowly and cautiously moved away from the door. Once around the corner Delta finally made the call to dispatch.

"Rain 1 this is Kilo 16," The painted dog said in a determined manner.

"Go ahead Kilo 16," Came a male's voice on the other end of the radio, the voice somewhat distorted due to the signal issues.

"We have an alert on the door leading to the control room. Notify EOD to roll on our location. Perimeter has already been established outside but notify the onsight assets of the status. We may need a bigger perimeter."

"10-4 Kilo 16," Came the voice, sounding a bit flustered. "Just to confirm your partner detected an explosive odor?"

It was at that point Delta looked over at Nick.

"The odor was detected by a K-9."

* * *

 **Hey all.**

 **Longtime right?**

 **So my writing has slowed to a crawl I know but you know how life can get right? Work has been super hectic lately and lots of other stuff has been going on.**

 **I appreciate the patience and all the support I have been getting lately.**

 **I am still working on all my other stories. None of them are dead, just super duper delayed.**

 **How is _Explosive Love?_ You all see where we are going now right? I mean the cover kinda gave it away but now we are seeing some headway. **

**Will try and have more for you all to read soon.**

 **-Blue**


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